A change of Plan
by StarsAndSparks44
Summary: He was my brother’s best friend, and I was the annoying little sister. But, now that my brother and parents are gone for a school trip to Europe, my brother’s best friend will be making sure I don’t burn down the house for a month. This'll be interesting.
1. In the back seat

A change of Plan

Summary: He was my brother's best friend who always ignored me, and I was the annoying little sister. But, now that my brother and parents are gone for a school trip to Europe, my brother's best friend will be making sure I don't burn down the house for a month. Well, this should be interesting.

Naruto does not belong to me. In fact, the only thing i own in this story is the idea.

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Chapter 1:

My alarm clock was beeping, and it was pissing me off.

Rolling over, I glared at the offending object, which was evil enough to say that it was 6:45 – time to get up to get ready for school. With a snort, I threw the first thing I could reach – my pillow – at it, hoping that would break, or at least hit the snooze button on the way down. No such luck.

"Why do I even bother?" I growled, pressing the 'off' button. I hated that beeping, but it was the only thing that woke me up in the morning.

Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, stretching my pale arms above my head. Ugh, my hair was sticking up everywhere, I could feel it brushing against the sides of my arms. Maybe I really should pull a Sakura and chop it all off.

Shaking my head, I stood up. Nah, I pulled that stunt once, during a volleyball game when my boyfriend was...never mind. It doesn't matter. Anyways, let's just say that I'll never do it again.

Shuffling across the purple wall-to-wall carpet to my closet, pausing to glance in the full-length mirror that I've had in my room for god knows how long. Oh god, my hair was worse than I thought. With a groan, I patted the blond fro.

You see, even though my hair is almost at my waist, it still has the power to fluff up over my head in a giant cloud of blond. With a sigh, I shuffled onwards. I'd fix it later.

Finally arriving at my closet, I swung it open, and began the long and arduous task of finding an outfit. Seeing as it was Monday, and I needed some extra entertainment, I decided on doing something funky.

I decided on a three-quarter-sleeve dark gray sweater-dress, with a thick back belt around my waist, and a long white knitted sweater overtop. To finish it off, I pulled on a pair of black knee length leggings and ankle-high brown felt boots.

Well, now I had to tame the animal that lived on top of my head. Walking out of my room, I made my way to the bathroom. All the way at the end of the hallway.

You know, maybe having a bathroom that didn't take me a whole minute to walk to would be really convenient. I contemplated that as I walked towards it, pausing at the second door to my left. I shuddered. Time to wake the beast.

"Dei? You alive in there? It's time to get up!" I called, banging on my brother, Deidara's, door. Deidara is 2 years older than me, in grade 11 as oppose to my grade 9, but he still relies on me to wake him up every morning. Honestly, he'd be lost without me.

"Deidara? You in there?" I called, frowning. Ok, normally he'd be up by now, yelling at me to go away. Where was he? Did he sneak out? Was he ok?

"Deidara Yamanaka! Open this goddamn door!" I screeched, pounding on the door with my palm.

"That's easier to do it you're not standing in front of it, un." the deep growl of a voice made me jump, and I swung around, eyes wide. Deidara was standing behind me, giving me a flat glare. He was wearing a tight black t shirt, and tight-ish dark blue jeans. His blond hair – not yet in it's customary half-ponytail – was flopped all over his head, covering half of his face none the less. He raised an eyebrow at my hair.

"You really should do something about the giant yellow rat sitting on your head, Pig." he smirked. I scowled at him, vainly trying to flatten down my hair. It didn't work.

"At least my hair represents my gender!" I spat back, storming off to the bathroom. I was never at my best in the morning, and Deidara deserved anything that came to him from making me so worried! Behind me, I heard Deidara mumble something that sounded suspiciously like, 'wow, she needs some better comebacks, un' before walking into his room.

A few seconds later, I heard the pounding bass of his stereo system as it belted out some loud rock song. My brother is very music-oriented. For the most part, I can usually gage his mood by what genre of music was playing. Rock meant he was tired – great, a tired Deidara was driving me to school. Joy.

Rolling my eyes, I turned, and walked into the bathroom. The bathroom me and Deidara shared was relatively small, with a bath-and-shower combo, a toilet and a sink. I headed towards the sink, already running through my morning routine in my head: spray leave in conditioner, brush, straighten, and pull it into a ponytail.

I frowned. You know, I was getting pretty sick of that routine. Time to try something else. After using up the whole bottle of conditioner (I'd have to apologize to Deidara later – he was the one who bought all of our hair-care products) and brushing out my hair, I decided to pull it into a long braid, leaving my bangs out. For added flare, I braided in a bright blue ribbon that I found curled up in the cupboard.

With that done, I turned to makeup. I didn't need much, so I didn't wear much. Just a little tinted moisturizer, mascara and lip gloss. Voila. Smiling at my reflection, I brushed my teeth, and walked downstairs, where my parents were waiting.

My dad was cooking breakfast at the stove, while Deidara and my mom were sitting at the table, not looking at each other. They didn't get along very well, because mom wants Deidara to go into law, but Dei wants to become a sculptor. Take it from me, Deidara will become a sculptor. I've seen some of his work. He's really good.

Sitting down next to my mom, I picked up one of the bagels on the plate, spreading cream cheese on it. I'd gotten over the whole 'dieting' thing a couple years back, when I realized that it was doing me more harm than help. Halfway through my bagel, my mom looked at her watch.

"So, are you two going to get going or what? You'll be late!" I sighed, rolling my eyes. Our school was a 5 minute drive from our school. It was 7:30 – we still had an hour till we needed to be at school. None the less, having an hours' worth of socialisation time with my friends is awesome.

"Mom, school starts at quarter to nine. We don't need to leave yet." Deidara sighed, sipping his coffee. I don't know how he can drink that crap every morning. I tried it once, and I was shaking the entire day! Mom, meanwhile, glared at Deidara, seeming to swell up. I felt like plugging my ears. Here we go...

"Deidara Yamanaka, don't give me that lip! Besides, being early is what will get you into law school. Oh, wait, you don't want to carry on the family tradition!" I snorted. My mom was the only lawyer in our family. None the less, Deidara was scowling. Great, now he's pissed off too.

"Besides, you'll need to go and pick up Sasori. He called this morning." my dad called from the kitchen. I wanted to groan. Great, I'll have to deal with a pissed off Deidara AND Sasori. This just wasn't turning out to be my day. Beside me, mom snorted.

"What, has he finally run out of money to balance his drug money and car money?" she spat. Deidara scowled deeply. Sasori was his best friend, after all.

Mom's never liked Sasori, mainly because he supports Deidara's dream to be a sculptor. As far as I know Sasori isn't a druggie, but to mom, anyone who picks art over 'a real job' has to be on something.

Not to mention, Sasori's always been a little...weird. His parents died in a car crash when he was really little, so he grew up with his grandma, a puppet maker. He plans to take up puppet making as a career too.

Puppets creep me out. I saw his room once (I needed to drop off something from Deidara) and I'm not lying, it's FULL of puppets. It freaked me out. His personality is kinda screwed too. I don't know how to explain it, besides saying I don't like him much. Trust me, the feeling is mutual between us.

"Mom, Sasori is _not_ on drugs. Grab your stuff, Ino. We're going." Deidara all but snarled, picking up his backpack and heading stiffly towards the door. I sighed, picking up my messenger bag backpack. Deidara only ever calls me Ino if we're in polite company, or when he's mad. I'm pretty sure it's the latter today.

Walking out to my brother's car, I opened the passenger seat door, climbing in. I would tell you what sort it is, but I'm a retard when it comes to cars. Deidara got in too, scowling the whole time. He must really be in a bad mood, I thought. He didn't usually get upset whenever he and mom fight.

We drove in silence until we came to the apartment building where Sasori and his grandma live. I shuddered. It was in a bad end of town, and when Deidara got out to go get his friend, I locked the doors to the car. Who knows how many rapists and kidnappers there were around?

Bitting my lip, I glanced around. I didn't see anything, but you never know, they could be waiting behind the dumpsters! Or the building itself, or even –

Tap tap tap.

"AHHHH!" I screamed, jumping away from the window. There was someone there! Glancing up, I expected to see some old guy standing there with a psychotic grin and a knife.

Instead, I found myself looking into the annoyed, half-lidded hazel eyes of my brother's best friend, Sasori Akasuna. Scowling, he pointed to the door handle, which I realized was still locked. Blushing slightly, I unlocked the door quickly.

"Sorry, I-" Sasori cut off my half-hearted attempt at an apology quickly.

"I get shotgun. Shove it, brat." ok, now I was scowling. Brat. That was what he always called me. The worst part was that, instead of being a good older brother and punching Sasori in the face for me, Deidara only nodded.

"Come on Pig, back seat." he grabbed my bag, throwing it into the back seat. I glared. there were some things in there that didn't react very well to being thrown around, thank you very much!

"Fine." I growled, climbing over the front seat to the back, making sure to get footprints all over the passenger seat. I could feel Sasori's glare on the back of my head, and grinned nastily. Ino 1, Sasori 0.

As I settled myself into the backseat and Sasori slouched in the from seat (while moving the chair back to squash my legs, I might add) Deidara started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road.

Sasori's apartment was 15 minutes from the school. By the time we would get there, I'd only have 15 minutes left before school started. I sighed. So much for helping Tenten study for her math test.

"So, why did you need me to pick you up?" Deidara asked, not looking away from the road. Mentally, I grimaced. Deidara wasn't someone who was capable of talking while they drove. Well, at least I was in the backseat, and if we hit a tree I'd be the least likely to get hurt.

"Grandma had to take the car to Suna. It's my parent's death's anniversary." Sasori explained, voice monotonous. None the less, Deidara made a weird humming noise that he makes when he feels sorry for someone. It's kinda funny, actually.

"Oh, ok. Well, hopefully she'll be back by tomorrow." Deidara suggested, trying to lighten the mood, I'm sure. Sasori only sighed, turning to look out the window.

"Hey, Sasori... are you ok?" Deidara asked. Sasori only grunted. From where I was sitting I could see that Sasori actually didn't look to good. His face was way to pale, and there were dark bags under his eyes. I wonder if he was ok...

I turned to look out my window. What did it matter to me if Sasori was ok? Wasn't my problem. Nope, not my problem at all. But even so, my ears pricked up when he answered.

"...I was up all night because the family above us was fighting." he mumbled, not turning away from the window. For some reason, I got the feeling he was lying.

"Well, why didn't you go up and talk to them?" the question slipped out despite my iron-hard-will not to care. Deidara glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, and surprise was clear in them. Normally whenever Sasori was around, I never talked. None the less, Sasori shrugged.

"Grandma didn't want to get involved." he growled, rubbing his eyes distractedly. I could tell that he didn't want to continue the conversation, and shrugged. Okay then. Thankfully, I was spared having to reply since Deidara was just pulling into the school parking lot. Throwing the door open even before the car had stopped, I jumped out of the car.

"Well, I'll see you later, Dei!" I called, sprinting towards the school doors. As I ran, I scowled. Why did I ask that? I thought that I'd made a deal with myself not to talk to Sasori unless absolutely necessary!

Shaking my head, I found my way to my locker. What's done is done. I wouldn't have to talk to Sasori for the rest of the day, so hopefully, all would be forgotten.

Yeah, right. As if my luck would let that happen.

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Well, that's the end of the first chapter. I tried to keep everyone (more or less) in character. Hopefully, if people decide to R&R, I'll feel loved enough to put up the second chapter!

StarsAndSparks44


	2. My NotSoSecret Boyfriend

Here's chapter 2!

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Chapter 2:

"Hey, Ino! Ino, over here!" with a grin, I ran over to where my best friend in the whole world, Sakura Haruno, was lounging next to my locker, holding two sandwiches.

"Hey Sakura. Thanks for lunch." I grinned, talking my sandwich from her, before sitting down next to her. Talking a bite of the sandwich (she even got turkey, my favourite!) We waited for the rest of our friends to show up.

You see, even though we both have a pretty big group of friends, Sakura – for all her faults – is my best friend. We've known each other for years, and I can't image a world without her.

"So Ino, why was the cutie in your brother's car today?" Sakura asked – very loudly I might add. I raised an eyebrow. 'The Cutie' was what Sakura called Sasori, because for some reason, she thinks Sasori is hot. I suspect brain damage.

"His grandma took the car, or something like that. He kicked me out of the front seat." I huffed, crossing my arms. Sakura only shrugged.

"Well, he is your brother's best friend." my scowl deepened. Sakura never gets it whenever I vent about Sasori!

"Yeah, and I'm my brother's little sister! I think I should have some rights to where I sit in the car, don't you think?" I spat back, taking a huge bite of my sandwich – subsequently choking. Sakura sighed, patting me on the back.

"Ino, I think you're over-reacting. Did you have your caffein this morning?" she asked, handing me her chocolate milk. I took it gratefully, eyes watering.

"Well, I still think that Sasori should have walked instead of kicking me out of the front seat. Then he would have fallen asleep halfway there, and gotten hit be a car." I mumbled bitterly, clearing out my throat with my best friend's chocolate milk. Like I said, I wouldn't be able to survive without Sakura. Meanwhile, I noticed that Sakura was frowning.

"Why was he so tired?" she asked, and for a second, I felt kind of...annoyed. Why did she care so much? I mean, I know that Sakura had a crush on Sasori a couple years back. Sakura really sucks at hiding her diary. And besides, It's not my fault that I know how to wedge myself behind and then under her bed!

Anyways, as far as I know, Sakura's moved on. So why should she care? And even more, why does it bother me so much? Shaking my head, I shrugged nonchalantly.

"He said that the family living above him was being loud." I explained, trying not to sound as doubtful as I felt. I still have the feeling he was lying. None the less, Sakura frowned.

Just as she opened her mouth, I saw a hyperactive blond ball of energy running towards us. I sighed in relief. I never thought there would be a day when I was glad to see Naruto Uzumaki.

"Ino! Sakura! What's up?" he yelled, nearly destroying the hearing of everyone in the hallway.

"Naruto, use your freakin inside voice!" I yelled, while Sakura covered her ears. As he came up to us, Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in a way that made me want to punch him.

"Sorry, guys." he apologized, forgetting me instantly and sitting down beside Sakura. Rolling my eyes, I turned to greet the rest of our group: Temari, (I would also have greeted Hinata, Tenten, Gaara, Shikamaru and Chouji, but they were all away on a class trip.) and Sasuke. My boyfriend. My SECRET boyfriend that my parents don't know about, because Deidara has a huge grudge against Sasuke's brother Itachi for some reason, and would absolutely_ **kill me** _if he found out_._

"Hey, guys." I greeted, before walking up to Sasuke. Who is my boyfriend.

"Hey, baby." he murmured in my ear, grinning handsomely. As usual, I felt myself melt completely. How had I managed to get someone so gorgeous?

"Sasuke, I missed you. I didn't see you all weekend." I purred in his ear, before moving to kiss him, while Temari made a gagging noise and told us to get a room.

"Oh, come on Temy, you know that you wish you were me!" I laughed, sticking my tongue out at her. Temari rolled her eyes, but grinned none the less.

"At least my boyfriend doesn't spend more time doing their hair in the morning than I do!" she shot back. I struck out my lip. Ok, that hurt. There was no way that Sasuke actually spent more time on his hair than I did! Quickly, I glanced up at it. Actually, now that I think about it...

"Oh, Temari, leave her alone." Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes. Temari's eyes, meanwhile, narrowed dangerously. I cringed mentally. Sakura and Temari didn't like each other. At all. In fact, the only reason that you could get them in a room together is because they're both my really good friends.

Turning away from the inevitable fight, I glanced up at Sasuke, who was smirking at my friends. I grinned, and Sasuke moved in for a kiss. I wasn't really in the mood for romance at the moment, but I wasn't exactly against it either. Oh, why did he have to be so gorgeous and perfect and–

"Brat."

Oh.

God.

No.

I froze, trying to will the world to change, so that it _**wasn't**_ Sasori standing in the middle of OUR hallway, so that it _**wasn't**_ me he was talking to, and so that it _**wasn't**_ my older brother's best friend who had just caught me making out with my boyfriend.

Unfortunately, when I opened my eyes and turned around, Sasori was slouched against the wall, arms crossed and watching me with a you-should-know-better-than-to-be-making-out-in-public-let-alone-with-Sasuke-Uchia look in his eyes. I wanted to run, or possibly punch him (and Sasuke for that matter). But, I settled for something a lot less dramatic – nonchalant-ness.

"What do you want, Sasori?" I asked cooly, crossing my arms, trying to keep the blush off my cheeks. Well, now I can only count the hours left until Deidara kills me, because knowing Sasori, Sasuke won't stay a secret for much longer.

"Deidara went home sick, so he told me to come and tell you that instead of walking, I'll be driving you home." and with that, Sasori, my new worst enemy, turned around, and walked away, as if nothing had happened. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling too good about my life right then.

"Ino... are you ok?" oh, there was Sakura, trying to see if I was ok. Stupid question, really, considering that the last person my brother got in a fight with ended up in the emergency room. I was fearing for Sasuke's life.

"No, no I'm not ok Sakura. You want to know why?" I knew that my voice was starting to crack up, and I distinctly felt Sasuke back up a little.

"I've gotta go. See you later." he muttered, and was out of there so fast, I could have sworn he flew.

"Hey, wait for me!" well, Naruto was gone too, running after Sasuke so fast they could be connected by a rubber band. The cowards!

"Ino, calm down. So what if you have to get driven home by Sasori?" Sakura and Temari must have been fighting fight-or-flight reactions too, but like the true friends that they are, they stayed to deal with me. What better friends could a girl want?

"No, that's not the problem, Sakura. I couldn't care less if it was freakin' _**Zetsu**_ who had to drive me home!" I almost-but-not-quite shouted. Zetsu was one of Dei's friends, and one of the creepiest creepers that has ever creeped the earth. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Well, if it's not that, then what's the problem?" she asked. With a snort, Temari stood up. Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before she would join the conversation.

"Sakura, Deidara hates Itachi, remember? So, what do you think he'd do if he figured out that Ino was dating Itachi's younger brother?" Sakura's eyes widened. Now she understood.

"Oh, ok, I understand now." she shook her head, and Temari shrugged.

"Well, sorry Ino, but there's nothing we can do to help." I sighed, sitting down against the wall and resting my chin on my fists.

"I know, I know, but still, I might as well start writing my will now. Deidara is gonna flip when Sasori tells him." I groaned, rolling over onto my back. Damn, my life really sucked. At least, right then it did. Sakura snapped her fingers.

"Wait, why don't you just ask Sasori not to tell?" she suggested. For a second, we were all quiet. And then, as one, we all burst out laughing. Sasori actually listening to me, that's rich!

...but still, it might be my only chance.

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yeah, this was a pretty boring chapter, except the end. That was fun :P. Don't worry, the SasuIno won't last long, I assure you.

StarsAndSparks44


	3. Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Wohoo! Chapter 3 is up! Chapter 4 is done too, but i'm waiting to get more reviews. Pretty damn selfish, if i do say so myself :P. now, i've got to study for THREE tests we have tomorrow. Oh, the joys of Grade 9!

Btw, i still don't own Naruto. *sigh*

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Chapter 3:

The rest of my day passed without any other serious incidents. Well, unless you count getting a volleyball to the face from Rock Lee in gym class a serious incident, which I certainly did. Thankfully though, since I had gym last period, I got to leave school before my black eye got too bad.

As a walked out of school, trying to keep my head down, I could already feel my left eye swelling up. Damn Mr. Gai making us play co-ed! Looking up, I immediately spotted Sasori, and scowled. The jerk was just standing there, acting like he didn't have to power to completely destroy my social life!

The scowl still on my face, I marched up to him, while he unlocked the doors to the car. His grandma must have returned earlier that day, because this was definitively Sasori's car. You could tell just by looking at it. The paint job was plain black, and the car itself had an over all bored look about it – just like him.

"Ok, let's go." I mumbled, wrenching open the squeaky door to the front seat. Sasori only shrugged, walking around to the driver's seat, and getting in. Leaning over, I buckled up my seatbelt, which by the way was one of the old sorts that you have to wrestle with for 5 minuted to buckle. When I looked back up, Sasori was staring at me.

"What happened to your eye?" he asked. I felt a little surprised. Since when did he care? I shrugged mentally. Whatever, answering him won't kill me. And besides, it might even help me get enough sympathy from him that he'll agree not to tell Deidara about Sasuke!

"Oh, nothing, we were playing volleyball and I got a spike from Rock Lee to the eye." I replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could, even though it hurt like hell. Sasori raised an eyebrow. In fact, he almost looked...concerned? What the hell?

"Well, are you feeling ok? Are you dizzy, or tired or anything?" what is he talking about? Suddenly, it clicked. He though that I might have gotten a concussion! Aw, that's so sweet! Not the fact that me may think I've dammaged my brain, but that he cares enough to mention it! Wow, where did** that** come from?

"Yes, I feel fine, and no to the other two." I explained hurriedly. Looking over, I watched Sasori relax. Was he relieved that I was ok? But, before I could delve any further into the matter he shrugged, his normal blank expression glued back on his face.

"Good. If you died on my watch, Deidara would never forgive me." I rolled my eyes, turning to look out the car window. In reality, I was kind of...disappointed that Sasori could change from caring to not caring so quickly. Didn't I matter even the littlest bit to him?

Wait, what am I thinking? I shook my head slightly. Since when do I care if I mattered anything to him?

But then again, I reasoned, I'd been feeling kind of off the whole day. Maybe I was getting whatever Deidara had. Speaking of my brother...

"Hey, Sasori...?" I ventured. His eyes didn't move from the road.

"What?" he asked. I noticed that he still looked as tired as he had that morning – maybe even worse. Wow, there must really be something going around. None the less, I carried on.

"I was wondering, do you think that you could just, ah... forget what you saw in the hallway?" I could feel my face heating up as I replayed the scene in my mind. To my surprise, Sasori started to chuckle.

"Hey, what's so funny? I'm asking nicely here!" I squawked, glaring at him. Why was he laughing? He had the power to ruin my life, and he was freakin' _**laughing!**_

"Why would I tell Deidara?" he asked, through his laughter. I, meanwhile, was far from laughing. Did I head him right? Was he really not going to tell my brother?

"B-but Deidara is your best friend! Wouldn't you tell him that his sister was dating his worst enemy's brother?" I asked, frowning. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I wanted Sasori to go spilling my guts. But still, loyalty to friends! Sasori only shrugged.

"It doesn't matter to me what you do. Deidara didn't see it, therefore it won't hurt him." he explained, eyes shifting back to the road. I scowled and rolled my eyes. What a great, satisfying answer that was! Despite myself, I let out a huff.

I didn't even know why it bothered me so much that Sasori was willing to keep something so important from my brother. Maybe it was just that Deidara is the only person nice (or in my opinion, mentally insane) enough to hang out with this guy.

"Some friend you are." I muttered in a voice that (I hoped) Sasori hadn't heard. I wanted to voice my opinion, not start a fight.

Sasori moved so quickly that I almost didn't see it. Sitting up straight, he yanked the steering wheel around, spinning the car off the road and into a terrifying parallel park. The minute we stoped, Sasori pulled out the key and turned his glare on me.

Ok, apparently he heard me.

"Let's get one thing straight, Ino. I'm trying to stop Deidara from hurting himself by going and trying to beat up Sasuke, or Itachi for that matter. Just because you seem to think that telling everyone's secrets to your friends doesn't mean that's the way everyone thinks." Sasori's eyes were narrowed dangerously, and every word sounded like he was spitting them out.

Needless to say, I was shocked, and just a little frightened. Not just by the driving – never in my life have I ever seen Sasori even break the speed limit – but by the raw emotion in his voice. Apparently I'd struck a nerve.

And besides, what right did he have to call me a bad friend? Just because I tell my friends things they **REALLY OUGHT TO KNOW** didn't mean I was a bad friend, thank you very much! And I was about to yell that at him, too...until I noticed his expression.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a tyrant. I may be bitchy, but I'm definitively not heartless. So, when I saw that Sasori was looking down at the steering wheel with an absolutely painful expression, I deflated.

"Hey, Sasori...?" I ventured. When he didn't look up I shrugged, feeling my face heat up. "Could we...could we just forget this ever happened?"

Sasori was quiet for a very long time. In fact, by the time he did speak, I'd been busy checking my eye in my compact. Damn, it was gonna be one impressive black eye.

"Yeah...nothing happened. At all. I drove you home, told Deidara that his bratty sister pissed me off, and then went home myself. Nothing else." it sounded almost like he was talking to himself more than he was talking to me.

"So, does that mean that you're going to forget you ever saw me with Sasuke?" I asked, feeling hopeful. Or as Sakura would say, I was feeling cautiously optimistic. Sasori glanced at me, a small scowl on his face.

"Maybe." he announced, and I remembered he was still pissed at me. Before I could reply, he was starting the car back up, and pulling out of the temporary parking space.

I rolled my eyes. Typical Sasori. What was I expecting? For Sasori to turn around smiling and announce that my secret was safe with him, and that we were best buddies? I think not.

Turning to look back out the window, I smiled in relief. Wow, I really dodged a bullet there. Now all I needed was a healthy break from Sasori for a while.

Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as I planed.

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Oh, a cliffhanger! Well, if everyone wants to know what happens, make sure to R&R. PLEASE!!! I want to get this story done too, people!

StarsAndSparks44


	4. Gut Feelings Suck

Wow, how strong-willed am I? I said that I wouldn't submit another chapter until I got more reviews (btw, THANK YOU to the people who have reviewed so far. I really appreciate it!) and here i am, posting chapter 4 in the same night! Granted, it's now past midnight so technically it's the next day, but whatever. Anyways, enjoy Chapter 4:

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Chapter 4:

Walking up the stairs to the front door of my house, I had a feeling that something big was about to happen. And I don't mean 'oh, I found five bucks on the street' big. I mean 'this is going to change my life completely' big.

I frowned. As far as I knew, nothing monumental had happened in the past 7 or so hours since I left for school. Putting my hand on the doorknob, I paused.

Wait, what if I'm getting one of those weird, psychic messages that you see on TV all the time, telling me that my parents have been murdered or something? Turning my head slightly, I watched with dismay as Sasori's car sped off. Well, so much for back up.

Suddenly, I realized how stupid I was being. Come on, Ino, pull it together! I didn't know anything for sure – only that it felt like something was going to change. I snorted. Yeah, right. The last time I'd acted on a gut feeling was in volleyball, and I have a black eye to remind me of that. Shaking my head, I turned the doorknob.

As it turns out, my gut feeling was right. Sort of.

When I walked in (very slowly, I might add. I didn't want to get murdered, after all) the first thing I saw was Deidara sitting in the middle of the carpet on the living room floor, packing his sculpting tools into a big cardboard box.

Wait, wasn't he supposed to be sick? As I opened my mouth to ask just what the hell he was doing, Deidara noticed I was there, pushing his blond hair out of his face and fixing me with a grin.

"Oh, hey Pig. Could you go upstairs and grab the box on my bed marked 'Fragile'? Thanks." he turned back to his box, as if coming home to find your brother packing like a runaway was completely normal.

"Dei, what's going on? Didn't you go home because you were sick? And why are you packing everything? Are, are you running away?" I bit my lip. Sure, Deidara and mom got in a lot of fights, but he didn't need to **_run away _**because of it!

To my surprise, Deidara started to laugh. Really, really hard. So hard, in fact, that he fell over from where he was kneeling, supporting himself on one arm, the other on his stomach as he laughed. I scowled. Being laughed at is not something I'm overly fond of.

"Why would I be running away, Ino? I'm packing for Europe! I don't know what Sasori told you, but that's why I left early. They're loading all of our sculpting stuff on a separate plane tomorrow so that it'll already be in Greece when we get there." I stood there, my mouth hanging open dumbly. Am I the only one around here not understanding everything?

"G-Greece, Dei?" I stuttered out, still not having moved. I'm not gonna lie, I had no earthly idea what my brother was talking about. Deidara looked confused too, for a second, before he seemed to clock into the fact that I had no clue what he was talking about.

"Oh, yeah, I must have forgotten to tell you! My sculpting class is going to Europe for a month, to study the ancient workmanship. I swear, when I get back I'll be sculpting like Michelangelo!" I shook my head.

"Yeah, I think I missed out on that little tidbit of information." was my sarcastic reply. Deidara rolled his eyes, and turned back to his box. Walking up to where he was packing, I watched him load a few different cutting tools, feeling mildly interested. He _**was**_ going to Europe, after all. Hm, I'll have to take grade 11 sculpting some day...

"So, when are you guys leaving? And do mom and dad know?" just as I asked, my dad came walking down the stairs. To my surprise, he was carrying a box, too. Seeing as it was marked 'Fragile,' I realized that it was the one I was supposed to get. Yay, less work for me!

"Ino, honey, I'm going too, as a chaperone. Your mother also has some business over in Europe, so she'll come with us until she has to work. We're leaving Friday." ok, now I was confused. How had I missed all of this again?

"Well, what am I gonna do, since you guys are gonna be gone for a whole month?" I asked, crossing my arms, well, crossly. Since when was my family allowed to go on really cool trips to Europe without me? Deidara grinned in a way that made me feel like I was about to be told something that should be wonderful news, but really isn't.

"Already taken care of. Sasori agreed to watch you." I smacked my forehead. Oh, you have _**got**_ to be kidding me!

First, I find out that my brother and my parents are going on a super cool trip to Europe for a whole month, WITHOUT ME! And now, the person who'll be babysitting me the whole time is freaking _**Sasori? **_Ok, whatever god up there I pissed off, I'm sorry already!

"By the way, Pig, what happened to your eye?" giving Deidara a death glare was hard to do with one black eye, but I managed anyways.

Shaking my head angrily, I stomped towards the stairs, ignoring dad's questions about my day, and if I was ok. If you were about to have to put up with your brother's friend (who doesn't like you, by the way) day and night for the next month, would YOU be ok?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Slamming my door and chucking my backpack in the corner, I threw myself down on my bed, grabbing the cordless phone off my bedside table. There was only one person who'd be able to help me now.

"Hey Sakura. It's Ino." I spoke into the phone, lying spread-eagle on my bed. I could hear my parents calling for dinner, but I didn't care. There were more pressing matters for me to deal with at the moment. Like my impending doom, for example.

"Hey Ino. What's the matter? You sound upset." scowling, I told Sakura the whole story, from getting out of the car (I decided to leave out my little fight with Sasori) to stomping up to my room. For a few seconds, Sakura was silent. And then –

"Man, you're so lucky." she sighed. For a second, I was shocked into silence. What. The. Hell?

"Uh, Sakura, didn't I just say that I _**wasn't**_ going with them?" I asked, an eyebrow raised. I had a feeling I knew what she was getting at...

"Not that, you'll be living with Sasori Akasuna for a whole month!" I shook my head. Stupid, boy-crazy Sakura.

"Sakura, Sasori hates me, remember?" I sighed, rolling over to glare at the door to my bedroom, which was smallish, and painted a really weird baby blue. It's been the same colour for so long, I don't think I'll ever be able to re-paint it, even though the colour belongs more in a nursery than a teenager's bedroom.

"Oh, don't be stupid Ino, I can tell Sasori likes you. You can see it in his eyes when he talks to you." I raised an eyebrow.

"Sakura, were dropped as a child?" I asked sarcastically, rolling my eyes. Sakura was good at seeing things that weren't there. I heard her snort on the other end.

"You only think that because you're too blinded by your own love for Sasori to see!" I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Supper suddenly seemed very, very inviting.

"Well, I've gotta go Sakura. Talk to you tomorrow." I hung up halfway through her goodbye. Some friend i am, huh? Putting the phone down, I suddenly felt suspicious. What if Sakura was right? What if Sasori did like me? After all, he'd been acting weird to me the whole day.

And then, for the second time that day, I realized how stupid I was being. Why was I even considering this? Sasori is Sasori – cold, unfeeling, and a person who would never be attracted to me. And besides, even a complete stranger could have told you that Sasori was exhaused all day, and that's reason enough in my books for weird behaviour.

I sighed, rolling over onto my stomach, staring at the phone. Well, even if Sasori did like me, I wouldn't like him back. That, I knew was a fact.

Right...?

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Well well well, what do we have here? Is Ino starting to doubt herself? Let's hope not, or else it'll ruin my storyline! Anyways, R&R, please! :)

StarsAndSparks44


	5. Of Pink And Instant Waffles

Sorry this chapter took so long! I was busy all week, and I've been having a severe bout of writer's block that only broke today, which is why the chapter probably sucks. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. You guys make my story feel worth it! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the latest instalment of A Change of Plan.

Pink, Naruto and Korn all do not belong to me.

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Chapter 5:

_**1 week later:**_

I woke up Saturday to the pounding guitar and disturbing lyrics of Korn.

Frowning, I rolled over, keeping my eyes closed. Why was Deidara playing his music so loud? And why was he listening to Korn, of all things?

"Turn down your music, dammit!" I shouted tiredly. When the music didn't stop, I opened my eyes into slits, staring at my alarm clock. Who knew, maybe I'd slept in, and it was actually the afternoon.

No such luck. My clock told me that it was 8:00 in the morning – on a Saturday! Deidara had no right to be blasting his music so early! Ok, so it wasn't really that early, but it was _**Saturday!**_

Groaning, I sat up. Well, if Deidara wasn't going to turn off his music, I would. Getting out of bed, I didn't even bother changing out of my black pyjama pants and camisole, or to brush out my hair. It wasn't like my brother hadn't seen me in all of my morning glory before.

Walking out of my room, I peeked into Deidara's. I frowned. It was empty? Usually, Deidara stayed in his room until 11:00 a.m. on the weekend, blasting his music and talking to Sasori on teh phone. I shrugged. Well, that just meant he was in the kitchen.

Walking down the stairs leading to the kitchen, I scowled. Good god, he was playing that music loud! Walking into the kitchen, I breathed in deeply, getting ready to yell.

"TURN DOWN THE DAMN MU...sic..." the rest of my screech died in my throat, for the simple reason that my brain was so overly-confused that the rest of me had ceased to function. Eyes wide, I tried to answer all of my questions.

First question: why was Sasori standing in my kitchen? I have no idea.

Second question: why was Sasori standing in my kitchen, shirtless? Again, I have no idea.

And the third question: why was Sasori standing in my kitchen, shirtless and playing Korn really, really loudly? Well, I was about to find out.

"Uh, Sasori?" I yelled, trying to be heard over the loud music. Sasori's eyes, which had been closed, snapped open, and he flipped off his music. And then, he turned to stare at me.

It wasn't a 'oh, Ino, sorry, did I bother you with my ridiculously loud music?' stare. It was more of a 'Ino, why are you standing there in your pjs and with a blond afro?' stare. And frankly, it was bugging me.

"What did you do to your hair, brat?" he asked rudely, running his hand through his own hair, which was sticking even more than usual, like he'd just woken up.

Annoyingly though, it still managed to look cute. To Sakura that is. Not to me. Ever. At all. I swear.

I ignored his question.

"Sasori, what the hell are you doing in my house?" I demanded, crossing my arms. For a second, he looked confused, as if he somehow thought that randomly being in someone's house was normal. In fact, he was staring at me like I was being completely stupid, eyebrow raised and everything.

"Ino, did you completely forget what happened last night?" he sighed, turning around and flipping his music back on. I frowned.

What was he...oh! The events of Friday night came rushing back, and I suddenly got the feeling that I was an idiot. Shocker.

Feeling the blush rising up into my cheeks, I turned and walked calmly (well, it may have looked more like sprinting to someone else, but that's not the point) back up to my room, slamming the door behind me.

How could I have forgotten the night before, when my mom had forced Deidara to give me a hug before they left, while my dad gave Sasori specific instructions on how to function properly at my house, such as how to deal with Sakura and I when we had a sleepover, how to cook the instant waffles our family survives on, and what to do if some telemarketer came to our door, demanding cash.

How could I have forgotten the way that Sasori's grandmother, Chiyo, had looked me dead in the eye and told me not to give her grandson any trouble. In fact, I'd gotten the same speech from my dad, and from Deidara. Mom's speech was slightly different.

'Now, Ino, I know that you're a teenaged girl, with a normal teenager's hormones and impulses, but that doesn't mean that you can take advantage of the fact that there will be a boy living in our house. Besides, you know what he's like. A complete druggie, I swear. I didn't raise Deidara to hang around people like Sasori Akasuna!" I shook my head. Well, I'd rather forget that little talk. My mom was so weird.

Grabbing my brush off of my bedside table, I walked over to the mirror, and began to brush out The Beast. Might as well not give Sasori any more info that he could use to ruin my life.

As I brushed, I thought of what my mom said. As if I would actually consider _**doing**_ something while Sasori was here. And as if my _**mother **_thought that I would do something while Sasori was here! With a snarl, I chucked my brush at the wall on the other side of the room. Well, that wouldn't be the first dent there.

"Why would I want to try something with Sasori? He's just my big brother's annoying best friend." I grumbled, getting up to retrieve my brush.

ok, maybe throwing the brush at at the opposite wall wasn't my best move ever. It meant more work to go and get it. Maybe I should have thrown it at the wall in front of me instead. No, then I'd have to deal with ricochet.

With a shake of my head, I walked back to my desk, switching on the stereo on my dresser on the way. I grinned as the song 'You and Your Hand' came on. Perfect for my mood. Running over, I cranked the volume, jumping onto my bed and using my brush as a microphone. Because I'm just that cool.

"Cuz you know it's over, before it begins! Keep your drink, just gimme the money, it's just you and your hand tonight!" I yelled in what I knew was a wavering, probably horrendously off-key interpretation of the song. Geez Pink, why can't your songs be easier to sing?

Whatever, I reasoned. It wasn't like anyone who cared could hear me. And so, I continued on with my song. There was nothing that could ruin the moment!

"Brat! Shut up!" damn, spoke too soon. Scowling, I spun around, and watched as Sasori stomped across the floor of MY room, and switched off MY music. My scowl turned into a snarl, and I jumped off my bed, stomping up to him. As if Sasori actually thought he could touch my stuff and get away unscathed!

"Hey! What the hell was that?" I growled, crossing my arms. Sasori rolled his eyes, clicking the CD out of my stereo, and looking it over.

"Pink, brat? Really?" he sighed, shaking his head and tossing the CD into the desk. I grimaced as it hit the wood. Hard. I had to pay for that, you know! I rolled my eyes.

"Well, at least it's better than Korn." I snorted. "Pink's cool. Her songs sound good, and they have good messages. Korn is creepy, their singer's a complete whacko, and the music is way to self destructive for me." I told him, snatching my CD and cleaning it on my pyjama shirt. Looking up, I noticed that Sasori looked a little...sad. I raised an eyebrow. So sorry that my opinion offended him.

"Just play it softer." he growled, snapping back into being angry. Before I could so much as say anything, he turned around and slunk out of my room, slamming the door behind him. For a second, I stared after him, going over what I'd said. Did I actually say something offensive?

Shrugging, I turned around to finish my hair. It really shouldn't matter to me if I'd offended Sasori. But still, I decided not to put the CD back in. I didn't want the guy who'd be looking after me for a whole month pissed at me.

Brushing my hair, I listened as Sasori bustled around downstairs, doing something or other. With a small grin, I noticed that he hadn't put the Korn back on. Maybe this wouldn't be so impossible, after all.

Pulling on a new shirt and pants, I walked out the door and down the stairs, to where Sasori was making breakfast. Watching, I couldn't help but grin. He looked completely out of his element. Currently, Sasori was holding up a box of waffles like it was written in alien script. Laughing, I walked up and grabbed it from him.

"Here, I'll do it. Watched." I told him, opening the box and popping 4 waffles into the toaster. Turning around, I grinned.

"See? Simple." I explained, pointing at the instructions: '1: Remove waffle from package. 2: Place Waffles in toaster. 3: Serve.' complicated, I know.

"Well, sorry I couldn't find the instructions yet." Sasori mumbled, looking down and blushing slightly. I smiled. He looked so cute like that! I'll have to get him to make that face more often.

Oh, no, I sound like Sakura! I groaned mentally, and turned to walk out of the kitchen. Man, I needed to hang out around some different people. Sakura's boy-craziness must be rubbing off on me.

Because there is no way that I could think that Sasori was cute on my own. But for some reason...I didn't quite believe myself. Shaking my head, I sighed.

What was going on?

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There! Wow, this chapter was pretty much crap. I'm just glad it's over! :P

Reviews are much appreciated, thanks!


	6. Unintentional Ditching

Well here we are folks, chapter 6! I was sick today, and finally decided to get off of my lazy butt and finish it. Thank you once again to my reviewers, i really appreciate it! Anyways, enough with this. On with the story!

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Chapter 6:

It had been a week since my family had left for Europe, and a week since Sasori had become my house-mate. Believe it or not, but I was actually starting to enjoy his company. Despite being _**way**_ to freaking impatient for his own good (since when does someone actually time you while you're in the bathroom? Honestly.) Sasori was relatively ok company. He spent most of his time out of the house, or in Deidara's room, which he used as his own while he was here.

And so, when I walked down the stairs that Saturday morning, I was slightly surprised to see Sasori standing in the kitchen, talking on the cord phone. I frowned. Who was he talking to? And why was he in the kitchen? It wasn't like he was about to start cooking or anything.

Shrugging, I walked around him, talking out the box of waffles and popping 4 into the toaster. Even after a week, Sasori was still a hopeless cook. And besides, he'd been sick all of Friday, and since I didn't want to get sick along with him, it was probably better that I handled the food.

"Ino." turning around, I watched as Sasori hung up the phone, before turning to face me. I frowned slightly. He only called me Ino when he was trying to get on my good side. But that wasn't the only thing that caught my attention.

Sasori felt like crap. You could tell just by looking at the way he was dressed. He had a black wool beanie pulled down over his ears, and a black sweatshirt that was so big it looked like it could fit me inside, too.

Hm, me sharing a sweater with Sasori...

No, I scolded my inner perv. That was Sakura talk.

"Yeah, what?" I asked, not adding on the 'hey, are you ok?' that I wanted to ask on at the end. Sasori didn't like being asked if he was ok, amongst other things.

"I'm going out tonight to celebrate my friend Hidan's birthday." I shrugged. It didn't matter to me what he did.

"Ok, sure." turning around, I popped the waffles out of the toaster, listening to the tell-tale clinking as Sasori grabbed two plates from the cupboard. Even if he couldn't cook, at least he helped in the kitchen.

Bringing the waffles out to the kitchen table, I sat down and proceeded to drown mine in syrup, all the while watching Sasori as he picked at his waffles listlessly. I couldn't help it. His face was pale, and there were dark rings under his eyes. With a sigh, I shook my head. He looked, well...pathetic.

"Sasori, you should really go take a nap or something." Sasori glanced up at me, eyebrow raised.

"And why is that? I'm fine." he explained, and I could hear the yawn in his voice. The liar. I rolled my eyes.

"You're still sick, don't deny it, and plus, you look ready to fall on your face." Sasori's uninterested stare shifted to a glare, and he stood up, scowling.

"I'm fine, brat. I don't need you looking after me." with a snort, he put his plate in the kitchen, before walking towards the front door.

"I'm going for a walk. If you need me, just call my cell." he called, before I heard the door slam.

What the hell was that? With a huff, I stood up, bringing my waffles into the kitchen. Why did Sasori get so mad whenever I tried to look out for him? With a shake of my head, I walked from the kitchen to the living room, plopping down on the couch.

"Why do I try so hard with you?" I mumbled, resting my head on my hand. It was just Sasori. I shouldn't be wasting my time and sanity trying to make him feel better!

"Good god, what is up with me?" I growled, standing up. Well, whatever it was, I wasn't going to fix it by sitting around all day. I had to do something! Picking up my cellphone, I quickly dialled Temari's number. I wasn't in the mood for Sakura's speeches about Sasori at the moment.

"Hey Ino! What's up?" I grinned. Trust Temari to pick up on the second last ring.

"Get your coat, Temari. We're going shopping!" I yelled. Because really, I thought as I hung up the phone and went to get my wallet, what better mind-numbing activity is there than shopping?

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"So Ino, what do you think? Good, bad?" hm, that's a weird question. I narrowed my eyes. Why was that mannequin talking to me...?

"Ino!" oh, wait no. That wasn't the mannequin talking to me. It was Temari. Turning my head, I glanced at my friend, who was glaring at me, looking extremely annoyed. She was wearing a pair of white skinny jeans that managed to bring out everything that was remotely wrong with her legs.

"Oh, they look ok, I guess." I mumbled, waving my hand absently. Truthfully, I was starting to wonder exactly why I'd decided to go shopping in the first place. I was so out of it that I thought a _**mannequin**_ was asking me how its outfit looked, after all.

Apparently Temari agreed, because she sighed, walked over to where I was sitting outside the change room, and flicked me in the head. Hard.

"Ino, what's up with you today? Even though we've been shopping for hours, you haven't bought anything, you've been staring off into space this whole time, and you said that these pants looked good on me, even though you would have normally smacked me for putting them on." I sighed, crossing my arms. Temari was right.

"Sorry, Tem. I've just got a lot on my mind." I shrugged, before grinning slightly. "And you're right. I should hit you for considering those jeans!" with a loud laugh, Temari turned around and ran back into the change room.

"Ok, ok. I'll take them off!" she called, and I could her the sounds of her getting changed. Shaking my head, I slumped back down on my chair, sighing.

And then, someone grabbed me. From behind.

"AH! The hell?!" I screamed, jumping up and trying to get away. Looking up, I relaxed. It was none other than Sasuke. I forgot he worked at this store.

"Hey Ino. You should really relax. You almost punched me." he chuckled, letting go of my shoulders. Rolling my eyes, I glared up at him, blushing slightly despite myself.

"Well, sorry that I tend to freak out a little when some random stranger grabs me!" I snapped, crossing my arms. I wasn't about to break my I'm-really-spaced-out-and-pissed-off-today mood just yet. Even if it _**was**_ Sasuke.

Grinning a grin that turned my insides to mush, my boyfriend leaned in closer, snaking his arms around my waist.

"I'm not a stranger, though." he almost growled in my ear, and I could feel his hot breath on my cheek. Mm, he uses mint toothpaste.

"Well, a little warning would have been appreciated." I grumbled, squirming for Sasuke to let me go. He didn't. Scowling slightly, I turned around to tell him to let me go, but got cut off by his mouth, which pressed itself against mine, effectively shutting me up. Damn, he was good.

"Shouldn't you be working or something?" I grumbled as he_** finally**_ let me go. Sasuke shrugged.

"Well, who is there to help?" he challenged, crossing his arms and smirking in a way that worried me slightly. He took a step forwards.

"Unless you need help changing into anything, because then I'd be glad to help..." I frowned, taking a slight step backwards. Woah, suggestive much, Sasuke? Maybe it would be a good idea to get going...

"There's me that you can help, Sasuke." I breathed out a sigh of relief. Temari to the rescue! Turning, I flashed a thankful glance at my pigtail-wearing saviour, who was walking out of the change room holding up four or so items of clothing.

"None of these fit. Now if you don't mind, Ino and I need to get going. See you around, Sasuke." Temari shoved the clothes into Sasuke's arms, and dragged me out of the store. Literaly. In fact, she continued to drag me until we were on the opposite end of the mall, at the ice cream parlour. Oh so very Temari.

"Ok Ino, seriously. What the hell was that back there?" she demanded, sitting down across from me and fixing me with a glare. I found myself staring intently at my shoes. Damn, Temari could be scary when she wanted.

"I don't know, Temari." I sighed, shrugging. It wasn't like I'd suggested to Sasuke that we ought to do something in the change rooms! Temari just shook her head, giving me a look like she gives Gaara, her little brother, when she finds out that he'd been out till 2 in the morning doing something presumably illegal.

"Ino, I'm going to be honest with you. Sasuke isn't good for you." oh god, she sounded like my _**mother.**_ But I held my tongue. I'd heard Temari's 'Sasuke is a self-righteous asshole and you deserve better' speech so many times, I could recite it by heart. I might as well let her get it all out now. And seeing the way that Temari was looking at me, I could tell that this would be a long rant.

Thankfully, by some Devine Intervention, as my mom would call it, (I just call it damn good luck) someone decided that would be a perfect moment to come over and talk to us. And, just to improve on my luck, that person was Gaara.

I couldn't help but let out a little sight of relief. Now there was no way that Temari would get back on the subject of Sasuke. She'd be too busy discussing Gaara's many, many problems! Wow, that sounded a little cruel, but whatever. The point is, this was the perfect moment for me to get the hell out of there!

"Hey, Ino. Temari." he mumbled, hovering somewhat awkwardly by our table. Gaara had always had problems being around other people, ever since he was little.

I know a lot about Gaara and his issues. A whole lot more than the average, semi-sane person ought to. Temari tends to use me as her own, phone-accessible therapist whenever she needs to vent about it all. Which trust me, happens a lot.

"Hey Gaara." I greeted, before turning to Temari, who had shifted gears from 'berate Sasuke to make Ino realize she's to good for him' to 'get Gaara to confess about (Insert crime here) that he committed recently' mode. Quickly, I stood up.

"You know, I can tell that you two might want some alone time, so I'll just get going. Besides, it's getting close to supper time, and I have to get home before Sasori starves to death. Bye!"

Ok, it was a cheap shot to leave Gaara all alone with Temari (I know, Temari belongs in a cage, but still, you can't help but love her) but I really did need to get back home. It **_was_** close to supper time, and even if I was mad at him, that was no reason to leave Sasori to fend for himself in the kitchen. I shook my head. Funny, I thought Sasori was supposed to be taking care of me, not the other way around.

"Ino." my eyes widened. What was Sasuke doing here? Turning around, I watched as my boyfriend walked quickly towards me, holding out something in his hand.

"What, Sasuke?" I asked, going up to meet him. What was that in his hand.

"Ino, I was going to give this to you back in the store before we were, ah, _**interrupted**_." looking down, I blushed a little. Damn Temari! "But anyways, it's an invitation to a little get together I'm having tonight. It'll be you, me, and a few of the guys, just hanging out at my place. I hope you'll come."

Grinning broadly, I took the invitation. Even though we'd been dating for 3 months already, Sasuke had never invited me anywhere. I felt like a peasant girl who'd just been invited to a fabulous ball by her price charming! Of course, Sasuke wasn't a prince, and his house wasn't a castle, but still, it worked.

"I'd love to!" I gushed, batting my eyelashes. Any other time my actions would have made me gag, but for Sasuke, I was willing to pack on the extra gloss and glitter. With a slight grin, Sasuke nodded.

"I'll see you there, then." he announced, before turning around and heading back to the store where he worked. Standing there, I had to beat down a squeal of excitement. As it was, I was pretty sure that anyone standing near me would have though that I discovered gold in my backyard, from the way I knew I was grinning.

Sasuke had invited me to a party. Me! To a party! _**Me!!**_ Hugging the letter to my chest, I danced out of the mall. Nothing could ruin this for me!

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"No."

Oh, hell no. He did _**not**_ just say that.

I felt my jaw drop in disbelief as Sasori turned his back to me, and shoved his arms into his coat. Was Sasori being serious? Was he really trying to deny me, Ino Yamanaka, my right to go to my own boyfriend's party?

"What do you mean, 'no'?" I squawked, clenching my hands into fists. Ok, Sasori had three seconds to change his answer, or I was going to punch him. Sasori sighed, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Excuse me for not elaborating. No, you can't go to Sasuke's party." ok, he was going to get a punch. Eventually.

"I don't see why I can't go!" I huffed, grossing my arms. Sasori just pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Because I'll be at Hidan's party, and no one will be able to drive you home." he explained, pulling on his shoes. I crossed my arms. Sasori was walking thin ice, trying to blow the matter off.

"Well, one of us is going to have to make a sacrifice, then. And it isn't going to be me!" I announced, smirking. You couldn't argue with that logic! Ok, now Sasori looked annoyed.

"I don't have time for this. You're not going, and that's final." he growled, turning around and stomping out the front door. Wait, didn't I _**just say **_that he needed to make a sacrifice?

I don't know what made me do what I did next – wether it was the fact that Sasori was completely ignoring me, or that Sasuke was going to think that I ditched him, or a little of both. Any who, seeing red, I wrenched open the front door, stuck my head out, and glared at Sasori.

"Well, if you're through _**ruining **_my social life, maybe I'll just go and _**end**_ my life!" I screeched. I wasn't being serious, of course. It was a spur of the moment sort of thing.

Sasori's reaction wasn't what I'd planned. Instead of turning around and changing his mind out of sheer annoyance, the redhead's face paled, and he was in the car and out the driveway within three seconds.

Closing the front door, I bit my lip. Sasori had looked downright _**disturbed**_ when I shouted that. Well, whatever. It's not my fault he believed me! It's not! Or at least, that was what I was trying to convince myself of.

Shaking my head, I walked into the kitchen, pulled out the half-eaten carton of ice cream, and plopped down on the couch with the TV remote. Sneaking out to go to Sasuke's party would be a waste of time, considering that I had no idea where he lived. Sighing, I opened the carton and proceeded to shove as-large-as-possible spoonfuls into my mouth.

I hoped that Sasori would enjoy his night, because I sure as hell wouldn't.

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Finito! Finally, this chapter is OVER and DONE WITH! Sasuke hasn't made an appearance for a while, so i felt it was necessary to shove him in somewhere, same with Gaara and Temari. :P

And don't worry everyone, even though this chapter was pretty dull, the next one should have alot more action. Anyways, remember to Review, or else...um...well, just review!

Bye bye for now!

StarsAndSparks44


	7. I Didn't Need To See That

Hey everyone, I'm back! Geez, this chapter was a pain to write, which is kind of funny, because it was one of the first ideas I had for this story, that I based everythhing else off of. But hey, at least i finally finished it. Anyways, I'd like to make a shout out to everyone who reads this story and has the guts to REVIEW it! THANK YOU!!! I know that some people might feel stupid reviewing, like you're saying something that i'll think is retarded, but the truth is, while a nice fat comment is always appreciated, every comment makes me feel like this story is worth it!

But, the show must go on, reviews or no reviews. so here's the story!

I do not own Naruto. I hope all of you know that by now :P

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Chapter 7:

It was 2 am when the phone started to ring.

Rolling over from where I was still sitting on the couch, I picked up the phone with a sticky, ice cream covered hand. Hey, when you're depressed about missing a party, eating ice cream without any serious mess is easier said than done.

"Hello?" I yawned into the phone, wondering vaguely who was calling my house so late – or so early, considering that it was actually the morning.

"Hey! Who is this?" good god, did he have to yell? Yanking the phone away from my probably-bleeding ear, I watched the phone warily. I mean, who knows? It could be some sort of murderer trying to get into my house, like in the horror movie I'd just watched, the one with Drew Barrymore in it!

"Um, that depends. Who are you?" I asked, trying not to sound to scared out of my wits. I was hoping that I wasn't about to get a 'so, what's your favourite scary movie?' type of question. That, I could definitively do without.

"It's Kisame. Wait, this _**is**_ Deidara's house, right?" Instantly, I relaxed. It was just Kisame – one of the guys in Deidara's group, or 'Akatsuki' as they like to call themselves. Those 10 have been friends for _**years**_, even though they all have their own best friends within the group, like Deidara and Sasori.

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. Didn't Kisame know that Deidara was gone on a trip? Knowing Dei, he'd have told everyone any change he got.

"Yeah, Kisame. This is Deidara's house, and it's Ino speaking. Although I have no idea why you're calling, since he's gone. Now what do you want?" I mumbled tiredly, slouching further into the couch, turning off the TV, which was set to some random sitcom that I was only half paying attention to.

I was dead tired. Lying on the couch, I couldn't stop my eyes from drooping closed against my will. In fact, I'd just about been asleep before the phone rang.

The truth was, the only reason I was still awake was because I was waiting for Sasori. He'd told me before he left that he'd probably be back around 11. I'd decided that I'd wait for him to get home, just so that I could make sure that the rest of his night would be crap.

But now, 3 hours later, I was mainly waiting just to make sure Sasori was ok. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't because I actually _**cared**_ if he was ok. Of course I don't! No, the only reason I was _**remotely**_ concerned was because Deidara would be pissed if Sasori got hurt on _**my**_ watch.

"Oh, hey Ino. Just calling to ask, what number is your house again?" I frowned. That was a weird question. Why did Kisame need to know what number my house was? And once again, why the _**hell**_ was he calling at 3 in the morning?

"Uh, number 156. Why do you need to know?" suddenly, something clicked, and I jumped up. "Wait, does this have something to do with Sasori? You were at the party with him, right? Where is he? He said he'd be back by 11!" I demanded, all tiredness forgotten.

"Woah, Ino, slow down, one at a time! Yeah, I was at Hidan's party. It was kickass, and must have gone on a lot longer than Sasori thought, cuz it only ended like, half an hour ago. I'm trying to drive Sasori back to your place, but he's to shit-faced to tell me where you live. Anyways, I should be there in like, 20 minutes."

I raised an eyebrow. Ok, so Kisame was driving Sasori back to my house, and needed to get my house number because Sasori was too drunk to remember it. Hm, that always seemed more like something Dei would do. Getting drunk and having to get driven home at 2 in the morning, I mean.

"Oh, ok. See you in a couple minutes then." I shrugged, hanging up and sitting back down on the couch. Well, now all I could do was wait. Picking up the remote, I debated turning the TV back on. I decided not to, settling for curling up into a ball on the couch, pulling a blanket around me, and closing my eyes.

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"Oi, Ino! Open the goddamn door! Sasori's heavier than he looks, you know!" my eyes snapped open, and for the second time that night, Kisame managed to wake me up. Hauling myself up off the couch, I shuffled over to the front door. I swear, that walk gets about three times longer when you're tired.

"Ok, ok. Keep you pants on. I'm coming!" I growled, unlocking and then yanking open the door. I had to jump out of the way to avoid being tackled as Kisame, who stumbled in, carrying a very drunk Sasori with him. Glancing up at Kisame, grinned slightly.

"Wow, Kisame. You look like crap." I chuckled. Kisame, who has always been annoyingly-on-the-border-of-freakishly tall, was stooped over so that he could hold onto Sasori, who was very noticeably shorter. His skin – a really weird shade of blue that Deidara just loves to bug him about – was pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

Overall, Kisame really _**did**_ look like crap – but he had nothing on Sasori.

Sasori... well, I don't think 'terrible' completely summed up exactly how he looked. I could tell that if it weren't for Kisame's arms supporting him, Sasori wouldn't be able to stand by himself. His face was pale and sweaty, his hair was sticking up everywhere, and his eyes – which were normally so alert you would think Sasori was about to be attacked by a ninja – were half lidded and unfocused.

Walking over to Kisame, I wrinkled my nose. The two stank of sake. As I walked, Sasori glanced up and grinned drunkenly at me.

"H-hey, Ino. Wassup?" he slurred drunkenly – before leaning over and throwing up all over the floor. Well, looks like Sasori didn't eat before he got drunk.

Jumping away, I grimaced. Eww! Closing my eyes, I shuddered. I hated watching people be sick. After a second I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, before turning to glare at Kisame, who was still standing in the doorway, looking awkward and holding Sasori. From the way that Sasori's face was slightly green, I could tell that more vomit was on the way.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Bring him up to the bathroom! You know where it is. I have to clean up this mess!" I snapped, turning and running into the kitchen. Ok, Sasori was going to owe me big time for this.

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20 disgusting, bad smelling minutes later, I walked up the stairs tiredly, rubbing my back. Apparently, getting the smell of sake out of hardwood floor is a lot harder than you would think. Shaking my head, I turned and proceeded to shuffle towards the bathroom, where through the half-closed door I could see Kisame holding Sasori up to the toilet, looking tired. Reaching the door, I walked over to the two.

"Thanks, Kisame. I really appreciate you staying here to help. You can leave now, though." I sighed, rubbing my head. I could feel a headache coming on. Kisame stood up, stretching out his back, before grinning slightly. I don't think people are supposed to have that many teeth.

"No problem Ino. But are you sure you'll be ok alone? Do you want me to call someone?" I shook my head.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, and besides, I doubt anyone would want to come over and help me take care of a drunk 17 year old at 4 in the morning." Kisame chucked, shrugged.

"Hm, I guess so. Well, I guess I'll see you around some time, Ino." with that Kisame left, leaving all alone to deal with Sasori. I shook my head. What did I do to deserve this?

But, before I got the chance to answer myself, I was distracted by Sasori, who groaned loudly before throwing up into the toilet. With a sigh, I leaned down next to him, rubbing his back and holding his hair out of the way. That's what mom always does for me when I'm sick, so I'm guessing it'll work the same for someone with a hangover.

As Sasori relaxed once again, I decided that I might as well get rid of his shirt, which still stank. By now, the smell was starting to make me a little nauseous, and if I got sick, _**no one**_ would be happy. With a sigh, I pulled Sasori back, pausing to wipe his mouth with a piece of toilet paper.

"This would be so much freaking easier if you were completely conscious." I growled, trying to wrestle Sasori's sweatshirt off, which he seemed hellbent to keep on, even though it was soaked through with sake, and now vomit.

"No...don't take it...off..." he slurred, blurry eyes giving me a look that I knew would be a glare, if he weren't so drunk. All of a sudden, I got the wind knocked out of me when Sasori suddenly fell back, squashing me between his back and the floor as he fell unconscious.

For a second, I stayed still to catch my breath, feeling Sasori's even breaths as he slept on top of me. God, that sounded wrong. In fact, I though as I rolled Sasori off of me, this whole _**situation**_ was wrong! Sighing, I grabbed Sasori's sweatshirt, somehow managing to peel it off of him.

What was waiting underneath scared me more than I could have ever imagined.

Shocked, I scooted backwards, pressing my back up against the bathtub wall, shoving my hang in front of my mouth to stop myself from either screaming or throwing up. I wasn't completely sure which was coming. Staring with wide eyes, I tried to process what was in front of me.

Breath Ino, I told myself, staring at Sasori's arm, which had fallen towards me when I'd taken off his sweatshirt. I mean, really, it shouldn't surprise you that much, the small, logical part of my brain lectured calmly. You've always suspected it, after all. Shaking my head, I turned around, closing my eyes and hugging my knees to my chest.

Honestly, it shouldn't surprise me that Sasori cuts. It really shouldn't. Everyone knows Sasori is somewhat depressed, and after all, I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen Sasori's bare arms. In fact, as my slightly disoriented brain recalled, that day when I'd seen him shirtless in the kitchen, Sasori had been wearing arm warmers. It made sense, now that the image of his thin, pale forearm laced with thin, neat cuts – some scars, some scabs – was burned into my brain.

"Geez, why is this bugging you so much, Ino? You always knew he cut. You've known it for _**years!**_" I growled to myself, standing up, and walking past Sasori to get him fresh clothes. Pausing, I reached down and turned over his arm.

No one needed to see that.

When I came back into the bathroom, Sasori was awake. Sitting up against the bathtub, curled up like I'd been. When I walked in, he glanced up at me with sad, half-lidded eyes. Sasori looked so... vulnerable, so exposed, I couldn't bare to look at him. Turning around, I dropped the clothes – a pair of Dei's pyjama pants and another back sweatshirt – on the floor.

"Here. When you're done, go to sleep. I'm going to bed." I mumbled, trying to keep my voice from breaking. I was trying my hardest not to cry.

For some reason, this completely shook me to the core. I hadn't even been this distressed when last year, I'd found Gaara cutting behind the school. And trust me, that hit pretty hard. But no, I think the reason that Sasori's..._**problem**_ is bothering me so much is that earlier, I said that I would kill myself. Right to Sasori's face! Now I know why he looked so spooked...

"Ino...." Sasori mumbled, his voice cracking. Clenching my fist, I closed my eyes, a tear managing to find its way down my cheek.

"What?" I asked in a brittle voice, not turning around. I heard Sasori sigh, before i heard the telltale rustling of clothes being put on. When the noise stopped, I took a deep breath, and turned around. Sasori, now fully clothed, was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, looking down at his clasped hands.

"I'm going to tell you why." he said in an almost hollow voice. Nodding silently, walked over to the toilet, flushing it before I sat down on the seat.

"Ok. Start explaining then." I mumbled, fixing Sasori with an unwavering stare. I didn't know how I was doing it, really, but I felt like I needed to hear this story head-on. Or maybe, Sasori needed me to.

"I started when I was 13." Sasori began, and I nodded. I remembered that was when he'd stopped taking swimming lessons with Deidara. I'd always wondered why. Well, now I knew.

"For the first year or two, I only cut three times a year. Once on my mother's birthday, once on my father's and once on the anniversary of their death. I guess it was so that I could feel like I was actually doing something for their memory, instead of just going on like they'd never existed." once again, now I knew why Sasori had looked so drawn on the day we needed to drive him to school.

"And then, I started using it as a method to get rid of pain in general. I'm not a masochist, it just....helped, I guess." I couldn't look at Sasori anymore. Looking down, I stood up, walking towards the bathroom door.

"I'm going to bed. You should too." I choked out, before walking stiffly out the doorway of the bathroom. Sasori didn't say anything else.

Shuffling into my room, I closed my door as quietly as I could, turned off the lights, and crawled into my bed, burying myself under the covers. Glancing at my alarm clock, I realized that it was 4:20. With a sigh, I rolled over to look at the blank wall next to my bed.

"I'll deal with this later." I mumbled, listening to the telltale sounds as Sasori walked down the hall and into Dei's room. Finally, when everything was quiet, I closed my eyes, and hoped for a deep, dreamless sleep.

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There, 4 days of work and it's done! Just to let everyone know, I don't know anyone personally who cuts (that i know of, at least) so if anyone feels offended by the way I protrayed it, please don't be. And for those who don't know, the movie Ino was talking about at the beginning is 1996's 'Scream.' I don't own it. On a final note, don't worry folks, chapter 8 is well on its way to being almost-kinda-not really finished!

Review please, it makes writing go faster :)

StarsAndSparks44


	8. Of Revenge And Revelations

So, how many of you are ready to kill me yet? it's been just about three weeks since the last time i updated, and trust me, it's not ALL my fault. First i was sick, then i had a huge project, and then MY MONTITOR BROKE! I only just got a new one today :P. Anyways, I hope you all like chapter 8 of A Change of Plan! Remember to review it, please!

P.S. Naruto still doesn't belong to me.

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Chapter 8:

The first thing I did when I woke up was call Deidara.

Looking over at my clock, I figured that, since it was 1:00 pm here, than it would have be around 5 or 6 pm over in London, where I knew they were staying. I shook my head. Time zones are confusing, dammit! Holding up my cellphone to my ear, I waited as it started to ring. Hopefully, Deidara remembered to bring his cell phone with him, or else I'd be screwed!

"Hello, un?" I grinned. Yes! Deidara remembered his phone!

"Hey, Deidei. It's Ino." I smirked. Deidara _**hated**_ it when anyone called him Deidei. Especially when I did.

"Don't call me that, Piggy." he snorted. I scowled. Touche. "But anyways, what's up? Everything's ok over there? The house is still standing? What about Sasori? I haven't talked to him for weeks! How's he handling babysitting you, un?"

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I grimaced. Now I could see why so many people hated it when I asked a million questions at once!

"Well, everything here's pretty normal, and the house is fine, but Sasori..." I trailed off, bitting my lip. Did Deidara know about Sasori's problem? Would he be mad that I found out, or that Sasori had chosen to tell me instead of him? Over the phone, Deidara seemed to register that something was wrong, because when he spoke again, his voice was laced with barely-hidden worry.

"Ino, what's wrong? Is Sasori ok? Did he leave you alone or something?" taking a deep breath, I decided to go straight out with it. After all, beating around the bush wouldn't help anything.

"Deidara, did you know that Sasori ... cuts?" I asked hesitantly. Deidara was quiet for a long time on the other line. He was quiet for so long that for a second, I thought he might have hung up on me. And so I did what I do best. I started to panic.

"Hey, It's not my fault that Sasori didn't tell you!" I almost yelled, hoping that Deidara wasn't mad at me. I needed help sorting all of this out! I heard my brother sigh, and I relaxed slightly. Oh, good. He didn't hang up on me!

"Ino, why wouldn't I know that, un?" my eyes widened. Ok really, I should have seen that coming, but for some reason, had been thinking that maybe Sasori's secret was only between us two. Now that I knew it wasn't, I was almost disappointed. _**Almost. **_For some reason, sharing a secret with Sasori just appealed to me. I honestly don't know why, because I don't care about Sasori's secrets. Really, I don't. It just appealed to me.

"You-you know? For how long?" I asked, trying not to sound shocked. Geez, this shouldn't bother me so much! Deidara is Sasori's _**best friend**_ – how could he _**not**_ know?

"For about a year now. Sasori's pretty good at keeping things he doesn't want others to see hidden, un." well, I can definitively agree with that point. But still, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed with my brother. If Dei knew about what Sasori was doing, why didn't he try to stop him?

"Listen, Ino, I know what you're thinking, and I would have tried to stop him, but this is _**Sasori**_ we're talking about, remember?" I felt myself nod slightly, even though I knew Deidara couldn't see me. Well, he did have a point there.

"But still, you could have sent him to see a psychiatrist. Dealing with that sort of stuff is what they're trained for, and I'm willing to bet that they get a lot of people as stubborn as Sasori." I heard Deidara sigh over the phone, and I knew he was starting to get annoyed. Well, too bad.

"When I got back from Europe, I was planning to take Sasori to see Dr. Ibiki." my eyes widened slightly, and I raised an eyebrow.

Dr. Ibiki was one of Konoha's leading psychiatrists, so in theory, Deidara would make be making sense. But then again, Ibiki scared the crap out of _**everyone,**_ and I seriously doubt Sasori would open up to him. Then again, if he could open up to _**me, **_then he should be able to open up to _**anyone...**_ wow. That's a depressing thought.

"Wait, what do you mean, you were _**going**_ to? Did you think of something better to do, or something?" by now I was lying back down on my bed, staring at the wall. Which, for some reason, was the same wall that, on the other side, housed a very tired and very hung-over Sasori. I hoped he couldn't hear what we were saying.

"Well, I figure that if Sasori opened up to you, and you accepted it, I don't think he'll need professional help."

"Ok, wait. Why would opening up to me be so important?" I asked, feeling confused. It wasn't like I helped at all. Hell, I didn't even say anything helpful! Wait...come to think of it, I think the way I was acting might make Sasori want to...

Oh, _**crap.**_

"Dei, I'll call you back later ok." I snapped, slamming down the phone and jumping off my bed. Oh, god.

I really, really hope that Sasori didn't take my lacking-compassion response to his problems by cutting again! Yanking open my door, I sprinted down the hallway towards Dei's (and at the moment, Sasori's) room. I had to stop the madness!

"I'm coming in!" I screeched, pulling open the door and running in. Quicker than I thought I could, I crossed the room, jumped onto the bed, and subsequently, the redhead lying in it.

"Don't do it!" I yelled, grabbing Sasori's wrists and yanking them up above his head.

For a few seconds, everything was completely still. It was so quiet that I could clearly hear both our hearts beating, and suddenly, I was vividly aware that only a few inches of skin and clothing separated them. It was a...strange feeling.

And then, the silence was broken.

"Uh...Ino...? What are you doing...?" looking down from his wrists (which, thankfully, had no new cuts), I realized that Sasori was looking up at me, confusion plain on his face.

To make things worse, I realized that I was lying on top of him. In a bed.

To make things terrible, I could feel myself blushing.

To make things absolutely _**dreadful,**_ I noticed Sasori was blushing too.

"Uh....well, I was...uh..." quickly, I sat up, scooting to the end of the bed, and hunching over. Well...that wasn't one of my best ideas.

"Ino, what's up?" Don't look at him, I told myself. It'll only make things more awkward. Don't look at him. Don't look at him. Lifting up my head, I glanced over at Sasori.

Well, I've never been good at listening to myself.

"Well...I was...uh...checking on you. Yeah, I was checking on you! You know, last night, you seemed pretty out of it, so I wanted to make sure you were alright!" ok, I am officially a _**terrible**_ liar. Or, maybe that's just around Sasori. Hm, come to think of it, I can lie to anyone except him. That's kinda weird.

Sakura would probably say something along the lines of 'oh, it's because you _**luuurrrvv**_ him!' while grabbing my arms and jumping up and down, squealing madly. But there's a flaw in her logic.

I'm.

Not.

In.

Love.

With.

Sasori. I'm not! Besides, I have Sasuke! Remember him? He's my goddamn boyfriend! I couldn't love Sasori, even if I wanted to! Which I don't!

"Ino, are you alright? You've been glaring at the wall for like, a minute." oh yeah, I'm still in Dei's room. Turning to look at Sasori, I sighed, shrugging. Well, telling sucky lies wouldn't help me. Maybe I should just tell the truth.

"Honestly? I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you weren't...cutting again." I hit myself mentally for pausing. I needed to be strong about this!

For a while, Sasori didn't say anything, only stared at me with those hazel eyes. If there's anything about Sasori that I could ever find remotely attractive, it would be his eyes. They're so pretty, and they have a way of saying everything, without Sasori actually opening his mouth. Wow, how cheesy romance novel did _**that**_ sound?

"...well, I guess I should say thanks, then." my eyes widened slightly. Since when did Sasori say thanks? Don't get me wrong, I was glad he did. It made me feel like jumping on him in bed was worth it. Uh, that came out kind of wrong...

"But I'm fine. I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine." sasori finished, crossing his arms. Shrugging, I stood up. Normally, I wouldn't have dropped it so easily, but I really wanted to get out of there, and forget about the whole thing.

Well, if you're ok, then I guess I'll get out. Sorry." I explained, before walking towards the door. Wow, what a loser I am.

As soon as I was out the door, I decided that I'd have to call Sakura, or Temari, or maybe even Shikamaru. I needed to keep my mind preoccupied. Or maybe...I could call Sasuke. Hm, I wonder why that idea never occurred to me before?

Closing the door to my room behind me, I walked over to the phone on my bedside table, feeling determined. I was going to call Sasuke! Picking up the phone and collapsing back on my bed, I quickly dialled his number. After three rings, someone picked up.

"Hello?" oops, wrong Uchiha.

"Hi, Itachi. It's Ino Yamanaka." it felt weird talking to Itachi, considering his and Dei's relationship was so... strained. As far as I knew, it started a couple of years back, when Itachi got a higher mark on his art project than Deidara did. Dei, of course, was pissed, but Itachi apparently completely blew him over. And voila, hate was born.

"Oh, hi, Ino. I'll assume you'd like to talk to Sasuke?" I felt myself nodding happily, even though I knew Itachi couldn't see me. Yes, of course I wanted to talk to my boyfriend!

"Of course." I replied, feeling the blush creeping across my face. Sasuke and I never really talked out of school. It was kind of hard to do when, up until a couple of days ago, no one but our friends knew we were even together. For a couple of minutes, I waited anxiously for my boyfriend to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" I winced. Sasuke sounded terrible! I guessed that they probably had alcohol at his party last night.

"Hey, Sasuke. It's Ino!" I replied happily. Hopefully, my cheerfulness would make him feel better.

"Oh, it's you. Didn't think you'd call, after completely ditching me last night." I frowned. That was mean! It wasn't my fault I couldn't go to his party. And I decided to tell him so, too.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I couldn't come. Sasori wouldn't let me." I let the pout into my words at the end, just to make sure Sasuke could tell I'd wanted to go. And I really, really had wanted to go, too!

"Oh, right. I forgot that _**Sasori**_ has a chain around your neck." Sasuke said Sasori's name with so much spite that I actually felt a little afraid.

"What do you mean, Sasuke?" I asked, feeling more than a little confused. What was he trying to accuse me of? Staying home because I couldn't get a ride to his party?

"I mean, that Sasori seems to be far more important to you than I am." hearing the slight tremor in his voice, I could tell Sasuke was pissed. Well, so was I.

"What the hell, Sasuke? What is it exactly that you're trying to accuse me of?" and then it dawned on me. "Do...do you think I'm _**cheating**_ on you with Sasori?" I didn't trust my voice to anything over a whisper, because I knew it would crack.

"Yes. I do think that, Ino. And I'm going to let you know now, Sasuke Uchiha will not be the other man! We're through, you _**slut!"**_ and with that, he slammed the phone down, and I was left with the dial tone. Not that I noticed much, because of the one thought that was being repeated over and over in my head like some sick chant.

Sasuke just broke up with me.

He thinks I'm a slut.

_**Sasuke**_ just broke up with _**me.**_

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I closed my eyes bitting my lip and taking deep breaths. No, I wasn't going to cry. That wouldn't help anything. Don't cry, Ino! Unfortunately for rational-Ino, the tears were already pouring down my face, and all of a sudden I was crying, chocking and coughing all at once.

Collapsing onto my side, I buried my face into my pillow. Sasuke thought I was cheating on him with Sasori... what sort of bull was that?! As if I would cheat on Sasuke with anyone, let alone _**Sasori! **_I didn't even like him!

Or maybe...did I?

Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down, I sat back up. Me actually liking Sasori... all of a sudden, it didn't seem like such a strange concept to me. After spending close to 2 weeks living day in-day-out with Sasori, I couldn't deny that he was actually a pretty cool person. And (even if I still had a couple of issues accepting it) he actually wasn't that bad looking.

Rolling over onto my stomach and wiping my eyes, I reached over to my bedside table and picked up a small framed picture. Looking down at it, I smiled slightly. It was a picture from my 16th birthday, of me, Sakura, Deidara and Sasori. Sasori was the one I focussed on. Dressed in his usual dark sweatshirt and jeans, Sasori's face was caught in an expression of surprise. Giggling slightly, I guessed that was because of the headlock Dei had him in.

"Maybe it's possible..." I thought out loud, putting the photo back down on my bedside table. And then, I remembered Sasuke. Narrowing my eyes to stop the from shedding tears again, I picked the phone back up and quickly dialled Sakura's number. Now, it was time for revenge.

"Hey, Sakura." I said, voice surprisingly calm. I guess it was the calm before the storm.

"Ino! Oh my god, are you alright? Do you need me to come over? Do you want me to bring chocolate?" I felt my eyebrows shoot up my forehead. How did Sakura already know?

"Uh, Sakura, what are you talking about?" I asked hesitantly, feeling worried. Did Sasuke already tell everyone he broke up with me? I hoped not, but how else would Sakura know?

"Oh, Ino, Sasuke is such an asshole! He wrote 'I broke up with my whore of a girlfriend' on his MSN page!" I could feel my throat closing up, and I clenched my teeth. Sasuke... he was going to pay.

"Yeah, he just broke up with me. And I need your help to get back at him for it." I hissed in a very un-Ino like voice. I could almost feel the rage and animosity wafting off of Sakura at the moment.

"I say we sneak into his house while he's sleeping and chop his balls off." she suggested in a deceivingly sweet voice. Despite myself, I smiled slightly. It was good to have a friend like Sakura some days. Even if she is insane.

"Good plan, but too bloody. Besides, I have a feeling that a sick bastard like Sasuke would enjoy it. We need a better plan." for a while, both of us passed suggestions across. Until Sakura had a stroke of genius.

"Wait, I know! I heard from Naruto that Sasuke's having a big party next weekend, because his parents are going out of town. We can crash the party, and make sure he pays!" ginning manically, I laughed in a way that had an edge of hysteria to it. What can I say? I was pissed, and Sasuke had to pay.

"Great plan! Ok, here's what we'll do..." as we both planned, only one thing was going through my mind.

Revenge.

And also, what was I going to do about Sasori?

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There we go, finished :) I plan to have chapter 9 up some time between now and Sunday. Until then, have fun waiting, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!

StarsAndSparks44


	9. The Best Plan Ever

Woohoo! Two chapters in two days! hey, what can i say, i feel bad for depriving you all :P. Anyways, remember to review, review review!

You know, i almost feel stupid for saying it again, but NARUTO DOES NOT BELONG TO ME!!!!

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Chapter 9:

The next week of school was absolutely, without a doubt, the worst of my life.

Walking down the hallway, hearing the whispers of 'what a whore.' and 'I can't believe she cheated on _**him!**_' Weren't too bad, especially when you had Temari, who's willing to sustain a black eye and a split lip for her friend (long story short, I really owe Temari a box of cookies.).

No, the worst by far was how everyone – even some of my friends – started to ignore me. Throughout the week, I only had maybe a handful of conversations that didn't begin with 'so, is it true what Sasuke said?' but, I thought grimly as I sat on the couch in my living room waiting for Sakura, that was all going to change tonight.

"Sakura!" I screeched the moment the door banged opened and a blob of pink rushed in, intent on squeezing the life out of me in a hug.

"Ino! Are you ready for the most awesome sleepover EVER?!" Sakura screamed back, grinning widely and motioning to the huge pink bag sitting by the door. I laughed. Every sleepover Sakura and I have ever had follow the same pattern – greet each other insanely, plan a whole bunch of stuff, get halfway through, and then pass out.

But not tonight.

No, I thought, because tonight we were going gate-crashing. We were going to make Sasuke wish he had never even _**considered **_the thought of me going for Sasori, no matter how unbelievably sexy the redhead was.

Sakura's words, not mine.

Speaking of Sasori, we were both interrupted mid-hysteria by said redhead, who had walked into the front room.

"Ino, the pizza should be here in about half an hour. You guys can stay up as late as you want, so long as you don't keep me or the neighbours up. If you guys need me, I'll be in Dei's room. Oh, hey Sakura." Sasori looked beyond bored, slouched over and eyes half lidded. Even so, I could tell Sakura was drooling mentally.

"Ok, sure. And so long as you don't get in our ways, we shouldn't be a problem. Come on, Sakura!" with that we both ran past Sasori, laughing loudly. Sasori looked frightened for his life. This made it even funnier.

Arriving at my room, Sakura and I both began our normal sleepover routine. Nails first, and then hair and make-overs, all accompanied by very loud pop music. I'm sure Sasori was having a breakdown, but everything from Dei's room was quiet.

And then, at 12:30 a.m., our plan began.

Making sure to be very, _**very**_ quiet, the both of us snuck out of my room and down the hall, before sneaking a peek into the bedroom nest to mine. Sasori was lying on the bed, spread out and with the sheets tangled around his legs. His face was turned towards us, and from what I could see he was having a good dream. Or, at least, he wasn't having a nightmare.

"He looks so cute!" Sakura whispered, and I got the feeling that I would have to pull her back by her T shirt.

"Come on Saku, this isn't the time for you to jump Sasori. We have to get going!" closing the door, we returned to my room, wrenching open the window, and climbing skilfully down from my second story bedroom to the ground. After years of sneaking out of that window, both Sakura and I are experts.

Step one, complete.

"Ok, from what Naruto told me, Sasuke's house is about a 20 minute walk up Arnold street, before we turn onto Charlotte Av. His house should be the first on the left." Sakura told me, pulling out a small and extremely messy hand drawn map. In the corner was written 'from Naruto' with a heart. Chuckling, I grinned at Sakura.

"So, when are you planning to get with Naruto?" I asked her as we snuck off of my lawn and onto the sidewalk. For a second Sakura looked ready to murder me, before her face smoothed out, and her lips twisted into a smirk.

"The minute you decide to get with Sasori." if I'd been chewing gum, I probably would have swallowed, and then choked on it. As it was, Sakura was quickly patting me on the back, seeing as I'd inhaled my spit.

"Sakura, what have I told you? I don't like Sasori!" I snapped, once I caught my breath. Sakura, on the other hand, only sighed and shrugged.

"Well, from what I saw tonight, it looks like you do." turning away, I blushed slightly. So, Sakura had noticed the way that I was _**slightly**_ more considerate of Sasori's well-being tonight than any other time he was over. But that doesn't prove anything! Shaking my head, I snorted.

"Whatever. Even if I did like him, now isn't the time to get into it. Look, we're here." I nodded my head to the house that the map told us was Sasuke's. But even without it, the five cars parked in the driveway, and the flashing lights we could see through the curtains proved it.

"Well, let's go." I whispered, before the both of us sneaked up the driveway, watching for anyone. The plan was to get around to the back door, before sneaking up to Sasuke's room and finding some sort of incriminating evidence to post around the school. It would all be easy sailing from there.

Things were going pretty well, until we were right by the back door. I had my hand on it, ready to twist the handle and get us in, when suddenly, it started to rattle. I froze. Oh, god. Someone was coming!

They were going to see us, and tell everyone! Fortunately, before whoever was opening the door saw us, I felt a tug on the back of my shirt, and was quickly pulled behind a bush. Turning to me, Sakura put a finger to her lips, and we both turned back to watch the door.

After it rattled a little more, the door swung open, and a figure staggered out, holding a bottle of what looked like beer. From the straight white hair and pointed teeth – shown when he doubled over to throw up the alcohol in his system – I pinned him as Sasuke's friend, Suigetsu.

I felt my lip curl. I didn't like him, or any of his group, for that matter. In grade 8, Sasuke switched schools for the year. When he came back, he had three new friends – Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo. They were all weird, especially Karin, who had some sort of stalkerish obsession with my Sasuke. Oh, excuse me, my _**former **_Sasuke.

As Suigetsu continued puking onto the grass, Sakura and I saw our chance, slipping into the party through the open door.

The first thing I registered was the temperature. The heat from dancing bodies was already making me sweat. The second was the smell. A mix of alcohol, sweat and cheap air-freshener that made my stomach churn. The third was the sight. There were people _**everywhere.**_ In the kitchen, in the living room, on the stairs, in the bedrooms...

But, there was something wrong. Besides Suigetsu, I couldn't see anyone who looked to be our age. Everyone looked more around Itachi, or Deidara's age. I even recognized a few. Turning to Sakura, I could see that she looked nervous too.

"Ino... I don't think this is Sasuke's party." she whispered, glancing around at the partying crowd. Swallowing my own worry, I flashed her a smile.

"Don't worry, Saku. We'll just sneak around, and when we find what we're looking for, we'll leave. Easy as cake." when Sakura shook her head slightly, I sighed.

"It'll only take a couple of minutes. I promise! Come on, we'll stick together, ok?" with a shaky nod, Sakura was in.

Weaving our ways between dancing people, the both of us managed to get to the stairs, before we ran into trouble. Sitting at the base of the stairs was Hidan, in all of his hair-gelled glory, guarding a six pack of beers at his feet. Looking up, I tried to ignore him, but the moment violet eyes fell on me, I could tell Hidan wasn't going to let us go without a fight.

"Well, if it isn't Ino-Piggy and her little fuck-friend, Pinky." Hidan leaned back, letting out a burst of manic, high pitched laughter. I felt Sakura trembling, and I didn't blame her. Hidan was psychotic. And judging from the beer bottles laying around him, piss drunk, too.

"Hidan, let us by. We need to get upstairs." I sighed, trying to push past him. But the religious fanatic held hard, grinning fiendishly.

"Ooh, going to get some lesbian action on, huh? Well, I'll let you bitches go then!"

Relaxing, I went to take a step on the stairs, ignoring the lesbian comment. Arguing with Hidan wouldn't get me anywhere. But, as I walked past him, he grabbed me around the middle, pulling me down onto his lap. Hearing a small screech, I turned a watched as Sakura was pulled to the ground, Hidan's other hand clamped onto her arm. Needless to say, I was furious. What the hell did this asshole think he was doing?

"Hidan, what the hell? You said you'd let us pass!" I spat, trying to squirm out of his grasp. But Hidan has a strong grip, and he held strong. Suddenly, I felt something hard being shoved into my hand.

"Sex is better drunk. Drink up, Blondie." Hidan smirked, holding up his own beer in some sort of twisted toast. Gritting my teeth, I glanced down at Sakura. It was either sit here with Hidan, or drink the beer and get going with our plan. In an unspoken resolution, both Sakura and I decided. Raising the bottle to my lips, I took a deep breath.

It was only one beer, after all. How bad could it be?

**KISAME POV:**

God, I was bored.

Glancing around from where I was sitting on the couch with Itachi, I watched as the people around us got drunker and drunker. A bunch of idiots, every one of them. Hearing a loud cackle of laughter from somewhere behind me, I sighed. Well it looked like Hidan was harassing some poor innocent person again. Standing up, I glanced at Itachi.

"I'm gonna go make sure no one dies." I explained, before pushing my way through the crowd to the stairs, where Hidan was holding onto two very drunk-looking girls. I grinned. Well, it looked like Hidan scored big this time. A blond wrapped around his waist, and one with pink hair at his feet...

Wait.

Pink hair?

Rushing over to where Hidan and his posse was sitting, my mouth popped open. What the hell were Ino and Sakura doing here? And was that beer Hidan was giving them? Hidan only ever gave girls beer when he wanted to bang them. Oh, geez. If Deidara ever found out...

"Hidan, what the fuck are you doing? Don't you know that these two are only in the 9th grade?" I snapped. Hidan rolled his head up to look at me, a wide grin across his face.

"So? I like 'em young. Anyways, they're drunk. Who'll know?" it was that moment that Ino – who had been resting her head in Hidan's lap – blinked open her eyes blearily.

"Wassa happenin'? She slurred, looking confused. Quickly, Hidan lifted her head up to look him in the eyes.

"Well, we're going to go play a game in the bedroom." he hissed. Ino laughed drunkenly, before her head fell back down and she closed her eyes. Sighing, I walked over to Hidan, and grabbed both girls. Deidara owed me one now.

"Hidan, go find someone else to fuck. These two could get Deidara and Sasori on your tail." I spat, before turning around and walking back towards the couch, a girl under each arm. Speaking of Sasori, I should probably call him...

The minute I sat down, Itachi handed me his phone. Not questioning how he knew what was going on, I nodded thanks. It was better not to question Itachi. I know from experience. With Ino leaning on Itachi and Sakura curled up between myself and her friend, I quickly dialled Sasori's cell. After a couple of rings, someone finally picked up.

"What do you want, Itachi?" I felt my face pull into a grimace. Seems like I woke Sasori up. Oh, geez.

"Hey, Sasori. It's actually Kisame. And I, uh, need you to come over to Itachi's party. Like, right now." I explained, glancing at Ino and Sakura every couple of seconds. Sasori was gonna throw a fit.

"Kisame, I was asleep. Why the hell do you need me to come over to that party? I thought I told you guys, I need to stay and watch Ino and-"

"Ino and Sakura ARE here! They're both drunk, and Hidan was trying to molest them." I cut him off, and prayed that the redhead didn't take his anger out on me. Even if he barely topped 5,4, Sasori was a hell of a strong puncher.

"...They're WHAT?!!?" I winced. I've never heard Sasori so mad. Not even that time that Tobi accidentally destroyed one of his prized puppets. And trust me, he was pretty pissed about that.

"So could you come and pick them-" I shut my mouth with a snap when Sasori hung up. I could only assume that he was about to speed his way here.

We were so dead...

5 minutes later, with a bang that I swear shook the whole house, Sasori stormed through the door, making a B-line towards me, Itachi and the girls. Everything about him screamed 'pissed'. Getting up, I quickly turned to pick up Ino, but stopped at Sasori's voice.

"Don't. Touch. Her. You take Sakura. I'll take Ino." he growled menacingly, snatching up the drunk blond from me. Ino, who had been pretty much out the whole time, suddenly looked up, smiling drunkenly at Sasori.

"S..Sasori. When did you get here?" she slurred, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm here to take you guys home." he told her, and I could tell he was trying to keep the anger out of his voice. The things Sasori did for that girl were amazing. Hell, he even volunteered to look after her for the month! Funny think is, I don't think Ino's ever noticed.

"Oh...hey, Sexy – I mean, Sasori." looking down, I stared at the pink haired girl I was holding. Well, I'm pretty shure she was beyond drunk. But Sasori didn't even look up at her. He was to busy staring at Ino with a worried expression on his face. Rolling my eyes, I walked up to him.

"Save the worry until you get the home. Come on, I'll help you get them into your car." I sighed, walking behind Sasori, who seemed to be muttering things in Ino's unconscious ear. I couldn't help but think that it's funny how Ino thinks Sasori hates her.

Cuz I know that Sasori would do anything in the world for that girl.

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Sasori's affection is revealed :P!

Finally! This is the chapter I've been waiting to write ever since i started this story! Anyways, like i said before REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	10. Back To Grade 1

Hi everyone :) sorry I haven't updated for a while, but my computer was giving me crap again. Anyways, on a better note, the two final chapters of this fic should be done within the month. So, without further ado (besides stopping to say that I DON'T OWN NARUTO!) here's chapter 10!

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Chapter 10:

I woke up Sunday morning lying on the bathroom floor.

Rolling over I groaned, clutching my head. Oh god, what did I do to my head? I felt as if I'd been sitting in front of the trombone section in the school band all night! Not to mention, my stomach didn't seem too happy with me either. In fact, I think I might just be about to –

Taking advantage of the toilet in my vicinity, I hauled myself above it quickly enough so that I didn't throw up all over myself. The bile coming up and out of my throat tasted like warm, sour beer, which only served to make me gag even more.

When I was finished saying goodbye to last night's party, I slithered back down to the floor and closed my eyes. Hangovers officially suck, big-time. It sure isn't like what they show in the movies, when the character recovers in 5 minutes!

"So, feeling like crap then?" I'd been so busy wallowing in self pity, I hadn't noticed the angry redhead coming towards me. Rolling onto my side and squinting up, I realized that (unfortunately) Sasori was standing right over me.

Dammit.

"Yeah, I am. So could you do me a favour and go the hell away?" I growled, rolling so that my back was to him. I did _**not**_ want to deal with a pissy Sasori at the moment. I mean, when he had a hangover, I left him alone! Why couldn't he be a semi-decent person and do the same?

Of course, I remembered, as he snorted and _**flicked on the lights**_ – this was Sasori I was talking about. Of course he was being an ass. It was his default mode.

"Well, it's your own damn fault for sneaking out and letting Hidan get you drunk. Come on, Ino, you know what Hidan's like! What the hell were you thinking?" closing my eyes tightly, I bit back a groan.

Normally, I'd be flattered that Sasori was showing so much concern over me, (especially now that the idea of maybe sorta liking him isn't so far-fetched) he was speaking – no, yelling, really – way to loudly for my liking.

"I said I was sorry. But I needed to get revenge on Sasuke." I winced as I said Sasuke's name. Unfortunately, I wasn't as over him yet as wished I was. Yeah, I'm weak. Sue me.

I guess Sasori saw my face, because he sighed, before reaching down to pick me up.

"You'd better appreciate this, brat." he sighed, picking me up bridal style and walking out of the bathroom.

As Sasori scooped me up, I took a second to take everything in. But, all I managed to focus on was how...strange it felt for Sasori to be holding me. It's strange to think about, but in the 3 or so weeks that we've been sharing breathing space, Sasori and I have never really made any physical contact (besides my rescue attempt a few days earlier, that I was trying _**very **_hard to forget). In fact, for as long as I can remember, Sasori and I have had next to no contact. That was just the way we were.

But, now that I was in his arms, I realized that I didn't mind it too much. Even if he was a relatively small guy, Sasori was so _**warm.**_ It was like he had some sort of internal thermostat that he cranked up all the way. Hm...I wonder if he has to pay extra on his heating bill?

Shaking my head slightly at my lame joke, I sighed. Man, the lingering alcohol must be messing with my system, because I could feel myself starting to blush. In fact, as I moved my arm, I was overly-aware when I brushed against his bare arm...

Wait. Bare arms?

Looking down, I felt my eyes widen. While Sasori was wearing his customary black hoddie, he had the sleeves rolled up, exposing his arms. I couldn't help but stare at the thin, white scars again, feeling my gut churning slightly.

"Uh, Sasori? Why do you have your sleeves rolled up?" I asked quietly, transfixed on the scars. I wonder how much Sasori must be hurting if he made so many cuts...

"So that you don't slip while I carry you." Sasori replied in a cold, conversation-killing way. I sighed inwardly. Even if Sasori was a good liar, that excuse didn't fool me.

Still, I decided not to pursue it. If Sasori was trying to get used to not hiding, then I should be supportive. And besides, my headache was screaming at me not to do anything besides shoving my head into Sasori's warm chest and closing my eyes.

Happily, I complied, and closed my eyes. You know, I think I could get used to Sasori carrying me. He was just so comfy...

* * *

"Brat, phone!" opening my eyes, I sat up and stretched. Blinking open my eyes, I looked around and grinned. Life feels so much better without a hangover! Reaching over, I picked up the phone on my bedside table.

"I've got it!" I yelled, before putting the phone to my ear. "Hello?" I asked, crossing my legs.

"Hi, Ino." I frowned.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" I asked, feeling a little worried. Sakura sounded like a zombie! Hopefully, I thought, she was only suffering a hangover like I had been.

"Nothing's wrong, Ino." my frown deepened. I actually felt _**hurt**_. Sakura and I _**never**_ lie to each other! Or, at least Sakura doesn't. And I only lie about Sasori!

...sometimes.

Shaking my head, I pushed everything to the back of my brain. I needed to figure out what was up with my best friend!

"Sakura, you know you're a terrible liar. Now could you please tell me what's up? You know that I won't judge you or anything." I added quickly. I mean, who knew what Sakura was so messed up over? Hearing a deep breath being taken over the line, I leaned further into the earpiece.

"...it's Sasori!" Sakura finally burst out, and I had to rip the phone away from my ear. Ok, shoving it against my ear was a stupid idea.

"What did Sasori do?" I asked, feeling confused. As far as I know, Sasori only came and rescued the two of us from the party. Had he done something to Sakura? Scowling, I balled my hand into a fist.

Deidara's best friend or not, if Sasori hurt Sakura, blood was going to be spilled.

"Oh Ino, I feel like such a bitch right now!" Sakura sounded close to tears, and I groped around mentally for a quick response. It wasn't Sakura's fault if Sasori was a jerk!

"Sakura, you're not a bitch. I swear, if Sasori did anything to you-" quickly, Sakura cut me off.

"No, I am a bitch! Last night, Sasori only payed attention to you! He _**completely ignored**_ me! _**Me!**_ I'm the one who loves him, not you! So why does he love you?"

Sakura's voice died down from a shrill border-line-scream to a quiet whimper. I, on the other hand, was shocked. Was Sakura really mad because she thought Sasori... love me? I shook my head. That was stupid!

"Sakura, Sasori doesn't love me. He-" once again, I was cut off.

"No Ino, he _**does **_love you! A lot! You must be stupid not to see it! And you know what? You love him back!" my mouth popped open. Ok, now I was mad.

"Sakura, what makes you think that? Even if Sasori does..._**like**_ me, there's no way I'd like him back. Besides, what happened to you being over him, huh?" I spat back, baring my teeth sub-consciously. Sakura was overstepping some very sensitive boundaries.

"I lied, ok? And now, you can go and be all happy-lovey-dovey with Sasori, and just forget about me, so everything's good!" taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down. I knew that Sakura probably didn't mean half of what she was saying. Most of it was pent-up jealously coming out. But still, I was pretty pissed at her.

"Well you know what, Sakura? I think you're being nothing but a jealous bitch! If Sasori is so much important to you than our friendship, then I guess we're going back to grade 1!" I yelled, wincing as I brought up the period of time from grade 1 to grade 6 where Sakura and I hated each other.

"Fine!" Sakura screeched, and I could hear her crying. And then, she slammed the phone down so hard that I heard it crackle.

For a few minutes, I sat in place, red-faced and fuming. As if Sakura was accusing me of ditching my life for Sasori! She was such a_** bitch!**_

And then, after a few minutes, the horrible truth dawned on me. I'd just lost my best friend...again. Feeling numb, I put the phone down delicately, and layed back down. No...no, this wasn't happening again. It couldn't be! Closing my eyes, I let out a low groan. What had just happened?

'Well,' logical-Ino told me, 'Sakura accused you of liking Sasori, which you denied. Again. Then, since Sakura could tell you're a big fat liar, she was afraid that you were going to hook up with Sasori, completely forgetting her, and stealing the guy she's liked for years.' rolling over, I sighed.

"Shut up, Ino." I growled, shoving a pillow over my head. This wasn't my fault! Sakura was the one who was being jealous! It wasn't _**my**_ fault that Sasori _**apparently**_ liked me! It wasn't! Suddenly, I heard my bedroom door creak open.

"Ino? You ok?" I growled. Speak of the devil...

Sitting straight up, I turned to glare at Sasori.

"No! I'm not ok, because Sakura's a bitch and you're a moron, and just GET OUT!" I screeched, feeling the tears coming out. Sasori only sighed, staring at me with those unwavering hazel eyes.

"Ino..." he started, but I wasn't going to let him say anything else. In a last-ditch effort to get him out of my room, I picked up my brush, chucking it at him. It hit the wall next to him with a hollow thud.

Sasori's stare gravitated slowly to the brush to the new dent in the wall, and then finally back to me. Suddenly, it was all to much. Collapsing back in bed, I buried my head in my pillow.

"Please...just leave me alone." I choked out, the tears coming out fast and thick. I heard Sasori sigh quietly, before the door closed with an equally quiet clunk.

The minute he was gone, I completely gave myself over to the tears, choking and hiccuping and sobbing into my pillow. Throughout it all, only one thing was going through my head.

What the _**hell**_ did I do to deserve all of this?

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Wow, that was depressing. Well, hopefully things will get better in the next chapters...

StarsAndSparks44


	11. It All Hits The Fan

Final chapter! Now all that's left is the epilogue :) (which will be up some time veeerrryyy soon ;P) Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys reading this chapter as much as i enjoyed writing it!

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Chapter 11:

Monday morning, I debated just calling in sick from school. I knew that I'd have to deal with Sakura, not to mention Sasuke and his crowd would be around to make my day just that much better. All in all, staying home was definitely my best option if I wanted to stay emotionally stable.

Unfortunately, my would-be plans were shot the moment Sasori walked in, pulled me out of bed kicking and screaming, and told me firmly that I couldn't hide from my problems.

And so, that was how I found myself sitting in science class, with Temari's younger brother Kankuro sitting next to me, glaring protectively at anyone who even looked at me funny. As the teacher droned on about positively and negatively charged ions, I was acutely aware of Sakura's bright green stare burning a hole in my back.

"Ino, you shouldn't feel so bad. It's not your fault Sakura can't accept things." turning, I raised my eyebrows as Kankuro's deep rumble cut through my dread. The brown-haired boy grinned at me, his eyes – which were always covered in the same weird purple eye-liner – crinkling. I couldn't help but smile back slightly. Kankuro was just one of those people who can brighten the mood no matter what.

Unfortunately, my almost-good mood was gone the second I glanced behind me, to where my former pink haired friend was sitting, looking glum. Naruto was sitting next to her, talking excitedly in a way that I knew was his way of cheering her up. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working. Suddenly she looked up, and our eyes met.

Quickly I turned around, choosing to stare instead at the graffiti on my desk.

Turning, I opened my mouth to make a remark about how someone spelled 'I am a genious' to Kankuro, but quickly deflated. He was staring at the teacher in rapt silence, taking in every word. I wasn't surprised, really. Kankuro eventually wants to go to med school, to work with prosthetics. I shook my head. Why he would want to do that, I don't know. But what I did know was that he wouldn't want to be distracted.

Sighing quietly, I turned back to the graffiti, picking up my pencil and numbly crossing out 'genious' and replacing it with 'dumb-ass'. Grinning slightly, I looked to my right. Sakura would get a kick out of...

Oh yeah. We weren't friends anymore.

Putting the pencil down, I looked up at the teacher. Well, I might as well learn something. If the rest of my life was going down the drain, at least I could keep my marks up.

* * *

Lunch was going to suck.

I knew that the minute I waked into our hallway, and found it pretty well divided down the middle. Sitting with Sakura was Naruto, who sent me an apologetic look, Kiba, Naruto's best friend, Tenten, who's never liked me much, and Hinata, who I knew would follow Naruto anywhere, even if she knew that she'd never get him. Poor kid.

As I sat down, I was instantly surrounded by Temari, who glared at Sakura, Gaara, who looked like he didn't care what was going on, and Shikamaru and Chouji, who gave me a pat on the shoulder and a bag of chips, respectively. Sighing, I opened the bag of BBQ flavoured chips. No turkey sandwich and chocolate milk for me today.

"Look out Ino, the bastard in skinny jeans approaches." Temari hissed into my ear. Looking up, I narrowed my eyes. Sasuke was walking down the hallway, looking like he owned the place. Following behind him were Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo. Standing up, I put my hands on my hips.

It was time to stop hiding.

"What the hell do you want, Sasuke?" I spat, hearing the rustle of clothing as Temari stood up behind me.

"I came to hang out with my friends. I was just hoping that you wouldn't be here." he sneered. I could feel the waves of anger coming off of Temari as the blond brushed past me and tormed up to Sasuke.

"Get out of here you bastard, before I shove the stick that's up your ass into your brain!" Temari yelled, grabbing the front of his dark blue shirt. Everyone else in the hallway turned to look at us, and I felt my face heating up.

"Uh, Temari, it's ok. Just let me talk to him." I growled under my breath. I did not like the looks people were giving me. Unfortunately, Temari didn't back off. Suddenly, a blob of pink rushed in between the two of them.

"Keep you disgusting hands off of my Sasuke!" Karin squawked, grabbing Temari's arm, and trying to drag her away from Sasuke. Temari, after a moment, let go willingly...before launching herself at Karin, who let out a loud screech as she was pushed back into a locker.

Involuntarily, I let out a sharp squeak, putting a hand over my mouth. What did Temari think she was doing? Looking up from the fight, I suddenly felt cold. Sasuke was glaring ferociously at me.

"Ino, get your psychotic friend off of Karin!" he snarled, taking a step closer to me. Swallowing my fear, I made myself look up into his eyes. I did not get this far into a potential fight to run away now!

"Karin can deal with herself. Besides, it might beat some sense into her, and she'll see that your nothing but a selfish, controlling a-" the rest of what I was going to say ended sharply when Sasuke lurched forwards, shoving me into the wall. Falling backwards, I felt my head smack against the wall, and I saw stars.

When I looked back up, the whole scene had changed.

**KISAME POV:**

So far, the day had been going pretty normally. Walking down the halls with my group (aka Itachi, Sasori, and a gaggle of girls and guys who wished they were in with us. Heh.) All of us carrying our bought lunches to our spot outside the science class, I couldn't help but wonder when something strange was going to happen. It's not that I'm paranoid, but the day had just been going way to smoothly for my liking.

"Ino, get your psychotic friend off of Karin!"

Well, I thought as the three of us turned towards where Temari was slamming Karin into a locker, this might be the drama I've been waiting for all day. Turning to Itachi, I grinned.

"Looks like Karin did something to really piss off Ino's friend this time, huh?" Itachi, however, silenced me with a look and – so discreetly I almost didn't notice – gestured towards Sasori. Looking down at him, I gulped.

Sasori was standing frozen in place, watching as, while the fight progressed, Sasuke walked – no it was more he _**stalked**_ – towards Ino, who was backing up into the wall. Lifting her head, Ino snarled something at him, her blue eyes narrowed, and I was suddenly very reminded of Deidara insulting Itachi. All I could hope was that Sasuke – acting as Itachi – would just ignore it and walk away...

Smack!

Oh, geez, oh geez, oh geez. My eyes widened as Ino's head hit the wall, creating a hollow smack that I could hear at the end of the hallway. I glanced at Itachi, who shrugged. Turning to my other side, I exchanged glances with Sasori.

...or I would have, if he hadn't taken off faster than I've ever seen him move down the hallway towards Sasuke.

Biting my lip, I started moving forwards, but stopped when I felt a slight pull on my shirt. Turning, I realized that it was Itachi. He shook his head.

"Let them sort it out." he said, before settling against the wall, eyes glued to the scene in front of us. Sighing, I took a spot next to him. Well, I might as well watch the show.

**INO POV:**

My eyes widened as Sasuke was slammed into the row of lockers by someone shorter than him – someone with red hair, wearing the same black hoddie he always wore. Through the pain throbbing from the back of my head through the rest of me, I managed to think: when the hell did Sasori get here?

And then, of course, the full realization of what was happening hit me.

Sasori was holding Sasuke up by his collar against the lockers.

Sasuke was being beaten up.

Sasori was being more violent than I've ever seen him.

Shaking my head and wincing at the pain, I bit my lip. What was going _**on? **_Leaning forwards, I tried to hear what Sasori was hissing.

**SASUKE POV:**

"...touch her again, brat. I dare you." Sasori growled, only about 2 inches away from my face, hazel eyes burning. Swallowing, I tried to wriggle out of the psychotic redhead's grip. I knew it wasn't going to get me anywhere, considering how tightly he was holding onto my shirt, but still.

"Let go of me, you spaz!" I spat out, grabbing his wrists and trying to push Itachi's friend off of me. Inside, I was mortified. I, Sasuke Uchia, brother of Itachi Uchia, was being held up against a locker by some redheaded midget!

"No chance, brat. You hit Ino. Now I'm going to return the favour." the dangerous tone of Sasori's voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This guy was serious. Fortunately for me, I still had one weapon.

I knew his secret.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure that you of all people know the best way to hurt someone." for a second, Sasori looked confused. Smirking, I patted his wrist – covered, as always – gently.

"So tell me, Sasori. Do you carry around the knife everywhere, or do you just keep it in your room for those nights you can't stand it anymore?" I watched with satisfaction as Sasori's already pale face drained of all colour, and his eyes widened.

"You...you know?" he whispered hoarsely. I felt his grip loosening slightly. If I could keep him distracted, I could get out of this. The smirk still on my face, I nodded.

"Yeah, ever since last month, when Itachi told me." ok, that was a lie. The only reason I knew was because last year, when all the Akatsuki had been over at my house, I'd been spying on people. I just happened to look in when Sasori was changing his shirt. But still, if things worked out like I thought they were going to...

"What?" Sasori hissed, his head whipping around to glare at Itachi. My smirk widened into a triumphant grin. It worked. Quickly, I gripped Sasori's wrists tightly and twisted, ripping his hands off of my neck and sending him back a few steps.

Gasping for air and rubbing my throat, I glared at the redhead. Now, to end this.

Unfortunately, the minute I took a step towards him, he turned and suddenly sprinted towards the door. Feeling confused, I turned to watch Sasori open the door and run out, in hot pursuit of a blond blur. Shaking my head, I turned to walk away.

"Oh, no you don't, asshole!" turning, my eyes widened as both Sakura and Temari both tackled me.

**INO POV:**

I can't believe this is happening.

Springing through the woods behind Konoha High, I clutched the back of my head, switching between bitting my lip and trying not to cry. Why did Sasori do that? Now everyone's going to think Sasori is some sort of spaz! Or even worse, that we're _**together! **_

Stopping by the small creek that ran through the woods, I let out a loud sigh, and plopped down onto the grassy bank. Closing my eyes, I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my head in them. Pathetic as it was, it helped. I don't know how long I sat there for – it could have been 5 minutes, or it could have been half an hour. All I knew was that the only time I looked up was when I heard his voice.

"Ino, what are you doing?" opening my eyes, I turned to glare at Sasori. He was leaning against one of the large maple trees, about 10 feet away from me. I scowled. If Sasori knew what was good for him, he'd stay there.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I spat, turning around to glare at the calm water. Behind my, I heard Sasori sigh, and all of a sudden, I was aware of him standing just behind me. Looks like he didn't know what was good for him then. Turning around, I saw that he was glaring flatly at me.

"It looks like you're sulking because I stopped that bastard from beating you up." scowling further, I turned away from him. Sasori never failed to irritate me, even if he was trying in some twisted way to be nice.

"Well, you shouldn't have done it!" I growled, turning away from him. I really shouldn't be so mad at him, logical Ino reasoned. He was standing up for you when no one else was. Sighing, I turned around to look directly at the one guy who'd made my life hell for the last 3 weeks.

"Look, I'm glad you stood up to that asshole for me. I really am. But still, you didn't have to! Now everyone's going to think that you, that you _**like**_ me or something! And I know that since you hate me, this'll kill you and me!"

Ok, now I was getting a little ridiculous. Sasori didn't hate me – I knew that. But no matter what everyone else says, he doesn't like me. He doesn't! He doe-"

"Wait. You think I hate you?" my mental rant was cut off my the quiet voice in front of me. Looking up, I noticed that Sasori was looking at me with wide eyes. He looked genuinely surprised, and I found that I liked it. It's probably because 9 times out of 10, he's being a smug jerk, I reasoned. But still, it was a good look for him.

"Well....not hate, exactly, but you don't really like me...right?" I looked down, feeling my face heating up. Well, what was I supposed to say? 'Oh, well I think you don't mind me, even if everyone else seems to think that you're in love with me, and vice versa!'

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Looking up, I saw Sasori was shaking his head. Now, instead of shocked, he looked....amused. Scowling slightly, I crossed my arms. Ok, he should go back to being shocked now.

"Wow, you really are clueless..." he chuckled, and I noticed that he was slowly stepping towards me. Scowling, I looked back at him. As if he was calling me clueless!

"Hey, I'm not-" whatever I was going to say next – I don't really remember – was lost in the next moment. Why, you ask? Well, it was simple.

He kissed me.

Sasori kissed me – he just walked up and kissed me!

**_Sasori_** kissed **_me!_**

Leaning forwards, I closed my eyes, and decided to just go along with it. After all, I admitted to myself. I _**do**_ like him back.

A lot.

**NORMAL POV:**

Unbeknownst to the them, two more people – both with messy hair and dirt marks all over their faces – were watching from behind a tree. Grinning, Temari turned to Sakura, oblivious to their post-fight appearances.

"See, Sakura? They were going to be together anyways. It wasn't going to change." Temari explained, as gently as she could – which wasn't really very gentle at all. Still, Sakura only sighed, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But still, I have to wonder..." she trailed off, narrowing her eyes slightly. Temari frowned slightly.

"What?" she asked, feeling confused.

"What's Deidara going to say?" Sakura asked, and the two girls – enemies who have bonded over one friend's troubles – broke down into chortles of laughter.

Sasori and Ino didn't notice.

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FIN!!

And now, only the epilogue is left :P!

StarsAndSparks44


	12. As Close To Happily Ever After I Can Get

Hi everyone! I can't believe i finished chapter 11 and the epilogue in the same night (although i couldn't post the epilogue thanks to computer problems)! Anyways, I'd like to thank everyone who's been reviewing - you guys are what kept this story going! And a special thanks to Kexxi for helping me review chapter 11 ;P. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the completion of A Change of Plan!

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Epilogue:

Honestly, I don't think I could have ever imagined something like this happening to me.

Smiling faintly, I glanced at my reflection on the mirror above the sink in my bathroom. My hair, curling elegantly to my waist, thanks to Konan. My make-up, making me look more like a Barbie than I ever have in my life (which for today, is a good thing). And then finally, my dress: a simple, strapless white number that brushed the floor.

Turning around, I let my small smile stretch into a grin. I was getting married today! Skipping out of the bathroom, I picked up the phone. Quickly, I dialled my brother's number.

"Hey, Dei!" I exclaimed brightly the moment he picked up.

"Hey, Pig. How's everything going? Did Konan do a good job on your hair and make-up?" letting out a short laugh, I went to sit down on the couch. A couple of hours earlier, I'd called Deidara in a panic, explaining that my hair-and-make-up people had both had to cancel. As calmly as a brother who's sister was about to get married could be, he'd suggested that I call Konan, one of his friends who was a hair dresser and a make-up artist.

"She did a great job, Deidara! You should see it!" I gushed, resisting the urge to twirl my hair. That would ruin the curls. I heard Deidara sigh on the other end, and I felt slightly guilty. I had, after all, been calling my brother repeatedly all day, even though I knew he was busy driving to Konoha all the way from Iwagakure, where he set up an art shop a few years back.

"Well, I will be seeing it, in a couple of hours. Anyways, I'm just about to stop and pick up Temari and her crew, so I've gotta go. See you later, Ino."

"Bye." I said, before turning off the phone. If Deidara was stopping to pick up Temari, her brothers and her fiancé, that meant he was already in Suna. That mean he was only 3 hours away!

Putting the phone down, I stood up, not really knowing what to do. The wedding was all ready, my hair and make-up was done, and all of my bridesmaids would be here within the next few hours. It left nothing else for me to do, but to relax and reminisce. Sighing, I glanced around the room, noting the little details and the stories that went with them.

There was the small black spot on the wooden floor by the stove, from when Deidara dropped his attempt at kebabs on father's 50th birthday, the red splatters on the ceiling from when Sakura and I painted a birthday present for her then-boyfriend, Naruto (who Sakura was waiting impatiently for a proposal from), the dent in the wall by the door from the vase I threw when Temari came over, introducing her new boyfriend and eventual fiancé – Sasuke.

Shaking my head, I thought of the odd match. It's amazing how an asshole as big as Sasuke could smarten up so much! Although, I though with a twinge of guilt, it probably had everything to do with his mother's premature death from breast cancer. But really, it had done him some good. In fact, he and I are good friends now. Weird, huh?

Turning my head, I stared at the small, framed picture on the bookshelf. In it were my dad, my mom, Deidara and Chiyo. All wore different expressions: dad looked in shock, mom looked ready to cry, Chiyo looked like we'd told her all of her puppets had been smashed, and Deidara... I won't even say what Deidara looked like, other than saying that Sasori was afraid to come near our house for the next moth.

Laughing a little, I picked the picture up. It had been a bit of a joke, actually. Sakura had taken it, when Sasori and I had called everyone together to tell them that we were officially dating.

I can still remember mom screaming 'Ino, have you joined this kid's drug group or something?', Chiyo scaring us all by pretending to die – she seems to _**love **_doing that – and Deidara actually fainting. But it was dad who surprised me the most. He walked up to Sasori, put a hand on his shoulder, and said 'Good choice, kid.' Putting the picture down, I giggled. Good times, good times.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in deeply through my nose. I'm getting married. I'm getting **_married!_** Even logical Ino sounded giddy with excitement today! Standing up, I walked over to my patio, flinging it wide open.

"I'm getting married to Sasori Akasuna today!" I screamed at the building across from mine, and to anyone or anything else around it. Opening my eyes, I noticed that the family in the apartment across from mine was staring at me, a strange expression on their faces. Closing the door quickly, I hurried back inside, giggling. Nothing could ruin this day!

Sitting back down, I bit my lip. Nothing could ruin this day...that was exactly what I'd been thinking on that day, all those years ago, when I'd learned that Sasori would be babysitting me for a month. It was amazing how different it had turned out from my original plan!

With a sigh, I turned to look at the most recent picture on my bookshelf. It was one of me and Sasori, sitting on the couch in his apartment (which he'd managed to get out of the bad apart of town, thankfully). I was curled up in his lap, kissing him on the cheek. Sasori, while not completely smiling, still managed to look very happy, a faint pink tint on his cheeks. Smiling, I turned to look out the window, seeing my reflection in it.

Sure, things may not have gone completely according to plan during that month, but I'm glad that what happened did.

I'm sure we both are.

THE END

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And now, this story is over. I'm actually really going to miss it! Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as i enjoyed writing it!

Bye for now!

StarsAndSparks44


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